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^[.\^■   Ki-:[.r.0GG  sullivan 


A   Woman    Who 
Went    —=—== 

To  Alaska     -^     ^ 


By    May    Kellog'ii     Sullivan 


IL.I^X7STR.A.T£I> 
THIRD    EDITION 


Boston: 

James    H.    £arle    (Sl    Company 

178    IVasKington    Street 


Copyright,  iqoj 
By  MA  y  KELLOGG  SULLIVAN 


All  Rights  Reserved 


I'Z-V 


CONTENTS. 


CHapt«r  PA|f« 

I  Underlay 9 

II  Midnight  on  a  Yukon  Steamer         -        -        -  19 

III  Dawson 23 

IV  The  Rush 36 

V  At  The  Arctic  Circle 48 

VI  Companions     -------68 

VII  Going  to  Nome -  73 

VIII  Fresh  Danger 81 

IX  Nome 94 

X  The  Four  Sisters 109 

XI  Life  in  a  Mining  Camp    -        -        -        -        -  131 

XII  Bar-Room  Disimb&iiiOi 149 

XIII  Off  For  violovm  Bay 162 

XIV  Life  at  Golovin 184 

XV  Winter  in  the  Mission 199 

XVI  The  Retired  Sea  Captain          -        -        -        -  215 

XVn  How  the  Long  Days  Passed     -        -        -        -  231 

XVm  Swarming 247 

XIX  New  Quarters 261 

XX  Christmas  in  Alaska         -----  275 

XXI  My  First  Gold  Claims 292 

XXII  The  Little  Sick  ChUd 311 

XXIII  Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp        -  325 

XXIV  An  Unpleasant  Adventure        -         -        -        -  340 

XXV  Stones  and  Dynamite        -        -        -        -        -  354 

XXVI  Good-Bye  to  Golovin  Bay        -        -        -        -  374 

XXVn  Going  Outside 379 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FAGB 

May  Kellogg  Sullivan        ....        Frontispiece 

Dawson,  Y.  T lo 

City  Hall  at  Skagway 12 

Porcupine  Canyon,  White  Pass 14 

Miles  Canyon     .         . 16 

Five  Finger  Rapids .  22 

Upper  Yukon  Steamer 24 

A  Klondike  Claim 32 

Going  to  Dawson  in  Winter 40 

Eagle  City,  on  the  Yukon,  in  1899     ....  44 

Yukon  Steamer  "  Hannah  " 48 

Fellow  Travelers 52 

Eskimos 64 

Unalaska 68 

Steamship  "  St.  Paul " 74 

Nome 94 

Life  at  Nome 104 

Claim  No.  9,  Anvil  Creek 116 

Claim  No.  4,  Anvil  Creek,  Nome       ....  168 

Natives  in  Winter 210 

Eskimo  Dogs 248 

Winter  Prospecting 264 

At  Chinik,  the  Mission       ......  272 

Old  Schoolhouse  and  New  Mission  Chapel  at  Golovin  344 

Little  Jennie 354 

Claim  on  Bonanza  Creek 376 

On  Bonanza  Creek     .......  384 

Skagway  River  from  the  Train 388 


PREFACE 


This  unpretentious  little  book  is  the  outcome  of  my  own 
experiences  and  adventures  in  Alaska.  Two  trips,  covering  a 
period  of  eighteen  months  and  a  distance  of  over  twelve 
thousand  miles  were  made  practically  alone. 

In  answer  to  the  oft-repeated  question  of  why  I  went  to 
Alaska  I  can  only  give  the  same  reply  that  so  many  others 
give :  I  wanted  to  go  in  search  of  my  fortune  which  had 
been  successfully  eluding  my  grasp  for  a  good  many  years. 
Neither  home  nor  children  claimed  my  attention.  No  good 
reason,  I  thought,  stood  in  the  way  of  my  going  to  Alaska; 
for  my  husband,  traveling  constantly  at  his  work  had  long 
ago  allowed  me  carte  blanche  as  to  my  inclinations  and 
movements.  To  be  sure,  there  was  no  money  in  the  bank 
upon  which  to  draw,  and  an  account  with  certain  friends  whose 
kindness  and  generosity  cannot  be  forgotten,  was  opened  up 
to  pay  passage  money  ;  but  so  far  neither  they  nor  I  have 
regretted  making  the  venture. 

I  had  first-class  health  and  made  up  in  endurance  what 
I  lacked  in  avoirdupois,  along  with  a  firm  determination 
to  take  up  the  first  honest  work  that  presented  itself,  re- 
gardless of  choice,  and  in  the  meantime  to  secure  a  few 
gold  claims,  the  fame  of  which  had  for  two  years  reached 
my  ears. 

In  regard  to  the  truthfulness  of  this  record  I  have  tried 
faithfully  to  relate  my  experiences  as  they  took  place.  Not 
all,  of  course,  have  been  included,  for  numerous  and  va- 
ried trials  came  to  me,  of  which  I  have  not  written,  else 
a  far  more  thrilling  story  could  have  been  told. 


Enough  has,  however,  been  noted  to  give  my  readers  a 
fair  idea  of  a  woman's  life  during  a  period  of  eighteen 
months  in  a  few  of  the  roughest  mining  camps  in  the 
world;  and  that  many  may  be  interested,  and  to  some  ex- 
tent possibly  instructed  by  the  perusal  of  my  little  book, 
is  the  sincere  wish  of  the  author. 

May    Kellogg  •Sulli'van. 


A      WOMAN      WHO      W^ENT 
—TO  AI.ASKA. 


CHAPTER  I. 


UNDER.  VITAY. 

y  first  trip  from  California  to  Alaska 
fl^  was  made  in  the  summer  of  1899.  I 
went  alone  to  Dawson  to  my  father 
and  brother,  surprising  them  greatly 
when  I  quietly  walked  up  to  shake 
hands  with  them  at  their  work.  The 
amazement  of  my  father  knew  no 
bounds,  —  and  yet  I  could  see  a  lot  of 
quiet  amusement  beneath  all  when  he 
introduced  me  to  his  friends,  which 
plainly  said: 

"Here  is  my  venturesome  daughter,  who  is 
really  a  'chip  ofif  the  old  block,'  so  you  must  not 
be  surprised  at  her  coming  to  Alaska." 

Father  had  gone  to  the  Klondyke  a  year  before 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  climbing  Chilkoot  Pass  in 
the  primitive  way  and  "running"  Miles  Canyon 
and  White  Horse  Rapids  in  a  small  boat  which 
came  near  being  swamped  in  the  passage. 

My  brother's  entrance  to  the  famous  gold  fields 
was  made  in  the  same  dangerous  manner  a  year 
before;  but  I  had  waited  until  trains  over  the 
White  Pass  and  Yukon  Railroad  had  been  crossing 
the  mountains  daily  for  two  weeks  before  myself 


lo  Under  Way 

attempting  to  get  into  Alaska's  interior.  At  that 
time  it  was  only  a  three  hours'  ride,  including  stops, 
over  the  Pass  to  Lake  Bennett,  the  terminus  of 
this  new  railroad,  the  first  in  Alaska.  A  couple  of 
rude  open  flat  cars  with  springless  seats  along  the 
sides  were  all  the  accommodation  we  had  as  pas- 
sengers from  the  summit  of  White  Pass  to  Lake 
Bennett;  we  having  paid  handsomely  for  the  privi- 
lege of  riding  in  this  manner  and  thinking  ourselves 
fortunate,  considering  the  fact  that  our  route  was, 
during  the  entire  distance  of  about  forty-five  miles, 
strewn  with  the  bleaching  bones  of  earlier  argo- 
nauts and  their  beasts  of  burden. 

Naturally,  my  traveling  companions  interested 
me  exceedingly.  There  were  few  women.  Two 
ladies  with  their  husbands  were  going  to  Dawson 
on  business.  About  eight  or  ten  other  women  be- 
longing to  the  rapid  class  of  individuals  journeyed 
at  the  same  time.  We  had  all  nationalities  and 
classes.  There  w^ere  two  women  from  Europe  with 
luggage  covered  with  foreign  stickers,  and  a  spoken 
jargon  which  was  neither  German  nor  French,  but 
sounded  like  a  clever  admixture  of  both. 

Then  there  was  the  woman  who  went  by  the 
name  of  Mrs.  Somebody  or  other  who  wore  a  seal- 
skin coat,  diamond  earrings  and  silver-mounted 
umbrella.  She  had  been  placed  in  the  same  state- 
room with  me  on  the  steamer  at  Seattle,  and  uoon 
making  her  preparations  to  retire  for  the  night  had 
offered  me  a  glass  of  brandy,  while  imbibing  one 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  n 

herself,  which  I  energetically,  though  politely,  re- 
fused. At  midnight  a  second  woman  of  the  same 
caste  had  been  ushered  into  my  room  to  occupy  the 
third  and  last  berth,  whereupon  next  morning  I 
had  waited  upon  the  purser  of  the  ship,  and 
modestly  but  firmly  requested  a  change  of  location. 
In  a  gentlemanly  way  he  informed  me  that  the  only 
vacant  stateroom  was  a  small  one  next  the  engine 
room  below,  but  if  I  could  endure  the  noise  and 
wished  to  take  it,  I  could  do  so.  I  preferred  the 
proximity  and  whirr  of  machinery  along  with  closer 
quarters  to  the  company  of  the  two  adventuresses, 
so  while  both  women  slept  late  next  morning  I 
ciuietly  and  thankfully  moved  all  my  belonigings 
below.  Here  I  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  room  by 
myself  for  forty-eight  hours,  or  until  we  reached 
Skagway,  completely  oblivious  to  the  fact  that 
never  for  one  instant  did  the  pounding  of  the  great 
engines  eight  feet  distant  cease  either  day  or  night. 
A  United  States  Judge,  an  English  aristocrat 
and  lady,  a  Seattle  lawyer,  sober,  thoughtful  and  of 
middle  age,  who  had  been  introduced  to  me  by  a 
friend  upon  sailing,  and  who  kindly  kept  me  in 
sight  when  we  changed  steamers  or  trains  on  the 
trip  without  specially  appearing  to  do  so;  a  nice  old 
gentleman  going  to  search  for  the  body  of  his  son 
lost  in  the  Klondyke  River  a  few  weeks  before, 
and  a  good  many  rough  miners  as  well  as  nonde- 
scripts made  up  our  unique  company  to  Daw- 
son.    Some  had  been  over  the  route  before  when 


12  Under  Way 

mules  and  horses  had  been  the  only  means  of  trans- 
portation over  the  Passes,  and  stories  of  the  trials 
and  dangers  of  former  trips  were  heard  upon  deck 
each  day,  with  accompaniments  of  oaths  and  slang 
phrases,  and  punctuated  by  splashes  of  tobacco 
juice. 

On  the  voyage  to  Skagway  there  was  little  sea- 
sickness among  the  passengers,  as  we  kept  to  the 
inland  passage  among  the  islands.  At  a  short  dis- 
tance away  we  viewed  the  great  Treadw^ell  gold 
mines  on  Douglass  Island,  and  peered  out  through 
a  veil  of  mist  and  rain  at  Juneau  under  the  hills. 
Here  we  left  a  few  of  our  best  and  most  pleasant 
passengers,  and  watched  the  old  Indian  women 
drive  sharp  bargains  in  curios,  beaded  moccasins, 
bags,  etc.,  with  tourists  who  were  impervious  to  the 
great  rain  drops  which  are  here  always  falling  as 
easily  from  the  clouds  as  leaves  from  a  maple  tree 
in  October. 

Our  landing  at  Skagway  under  the  towering 
mountains  upon  beautiful  Lynn  Canal  was  more 
uneventful  than  our  experience  in  the  Customs 
House  at  that  place,  for  we  were  about  to  cross  the 
line  into  Canadian  territory.  Here  we  presented 
an  interesting  and  animated  scene.  Probably  one 
hundred  and  fifty  persons  crowded  the  small  sta- 
tion and  baggage  room,  each  one  pushing  his  way 
as  far  as  possible  toward  the  officials,  who  with 
muttered  curses  hustled  the  tags  upon  each  box  and 
trunk  as   it  was  hastily   unlocked  and   examinee!. 


^1^ 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  13 

Ropes  and  straps  were  flung  about  the  floor,  bags 
thrown  with  bunches  of  keys  promiscuously,  while 
transfer  men  pers'piring  from  every  pore  tumbled 
great  mountains  of  luggage  hither  and  thither. 

Two  ponderous  Germans  there  were,  who,  in 
checked  steamer  caps  enveloped  in  cigar  smoke  of 
the  best  brand,  protested  vigorously  at  the  open- 
ing of  their  trunks  by  the  officers,  but  their  pro- 
tests seemed  only  the  more  to  whet  the  appetites  of 
these  dignitaries.  The  big  Germans  had  their  re- 
venge, however.  In  the  box  of  one  of  these  men 
was  found  with  other  things  a  lot  of  Limburger 
cheese,  the  pungent  odor  of  which  drove  the  women 
screaming  to  the  doors,  and  men  protesting  indig- 
nantly after  them;  while  those  unable  to  reach 
thie  air  prayed  earnestly  for  a  good  stiff  breeze  oflf 
Lynn  Canal  to  revive  them.  The  Germans  laughed 
till  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks,  and  cheerfully 
paid  the  duty  imposed. 

Skagway  was  interesting  chiefly  from  its  his- 
torical associations  as  a  port  where  so  many  strug- 
gling men  had  landed,  suffered  and  passed  on  over 
that  trail  of  hardship  and  blood  two  years  before. 

Our  little  narrow  gauge  coaches  were  crowded 
'to  their  utmost,  men  standing  in  aisles  and  on  plat- 
forms, and  sitting  upon  wood  boxes  and  hand  lug- 
gage near  the  doors. 

It  was  July,  and  the  sight  of  fresh  fruit  in  the 
hands  of  those  lunching  in  the  next  seat  almost 
brought  tears  to  my  eyes,  for  we  were  now  going 


14  Under  Way 

far  beyond  the  land  of  fruits  and  all  other  delicacies. 

"Pick  it  up,  old  man,  pick  it  up  and  eat  it,"  said 

one  rough  fellow  of  evident  experience  in  Alaska 

to  one  who  had  dropped  a  cherry  upon  the  floor, 

",  "  for  you  won't  get  another  while  you  stay  in  this 

country,  if  it  is  four  years!" 

"  But,"  said  another,  "  he  can  eat  *  Alaska  straw- 
berries '  to  his  heart's -content,  summer  and  winter, 
and  I'll  be  bound  when  he  gets  home  to  the  States 
he  won't  thank  anyone  for  puttin'  a  plate  of  beans 
in  front  of  him,  he'll  be  that  sick  of  'em!  I  efbeans 
or  'Alaska  strawberries'  for  nine  months  one  sea- 
son, day  in  and  day  out,  and  I'm  a  peaceable  man, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  time  I'd  have  put  a  bullet 
through  the  man  who  offered  me  beans  to  eat,  now 
you  can  bet  your  life  on  that!  Don't  never  insult 
an  old  timer  by  puttin'  beans  before  him,  is  my  ad- 
vice if  you  do  try  to  sugar-coat  'em  by  calling  'em 
strawberries!"  and  the  man  thumped  his  old  cob 
pipe  with  force  enough  upon  the  wood  box  to  empty 
the  ashes  from  its  bowl  and  to  break  it  into  frag- 
ments had  it  not  been  well  seasoned. 

Upon  the  summit  of  White  Pass  we  alighted 
from  the  train  and  boarded  another.  This  time 
5t  was  the  open  flat  cars,  and  the  Germans  came 
near  being  left.  As  the  conductor  shouted  "all 
aboard!"  they  both  scrambled,  with  great  pufifing 
and  blowing  owing  to  their  avoirdupois,  to  the  rear 
end  of  the  last  car,  and  with  faces  purple  from  ex- 
ertion  plumped   themselves   down    almost   in   the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  15 

laps  of  some  women  who  were  laughing  at  them. 

We  had  now  a  dizzy  descent  to  make  to  Lake 
Bennett.  Conductor  and  brakenien  were  on  the 
alert.  With  their  hands  upon  the  brakes  these 
men  stood  with  nerves  and  muscles  tense.  All 
talking  ceased.  .Some  of  us  thought  of  home  and 
loved  ones,  but  none  flinched.  Slowly  at  first,  then 
faster  and  faster  the  train  rolled  over  the  rails  until 
lakes,  hills  and  mountains  fairly  flew  past  us  as 
we  descended.  At  last  the  train's  speed  was 
slackened,  and  we  moved  more  leisurely  along  the 
foot  of  the  mountains.  We  were  in  the  beautiful 
green  "Meadows"  where  pretty  and  fragrant  wild 
flowers  nodded  in  clusters  among  the  tall  grass. 

At  Bennett  our  trunks  were  again  opened,  and 
we  left  the  train.  We  were  to  take  a  small  steamer 
jdown  the  lakes  and  river  for  Dawson.  We  were  no 
jlonger  crowded,  as  passengers  scattered  to  differ- 
ent boats,  some  going  east  to  Atlin.  With  little 
trouble  I  secured  a  lodging  for  one  night  with  the 
stewardess  of  the  small  steamer  which  would  carry 
us  as  far  as  Miles  Canyon  or  the  Camp,  Canyon 
City.  From  there  we  were  obliged  to  walk  five 
miles  over  the  trail.  It  was  midsummer,  and  the 
woods  through  which  we  passed  were  green.  Wild 
flowers,  grasses  and  moss  carpeted  our  path,  which 
lay  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  great  gorge  called 
]\Tiles  Canyon,  only  at  times  winding  away  too  far 
for  the  roar  of  its  rushing  waters  to  reach  our  ears. 
No  sound  of  civilization  came  to  us,  and  no  Ufe  was 


1 6  Under  Way 

to  be  seen  unless  a  crow  chanced  to  fly  overhead 
in  search  of  some  morsel  of  food.  Large  forest 
trees  there  were  none.  Tall,  straight  saplings  of 
poplar,  spruce  and  pine  pointed  their  slender  fingers 
heavenward,  and  seemed  proudly  to  say: 

"See  what  fortitude  we  have  to  plant  ourselves  in 
this  lonely  Northland  with  our  roots  and  sap  ice- 
bound most  of  the  year.  Do  you  not  admire  us?" 
And  we  did  admire  wonderingly.  Then,  again, 
nearing-  the  banks  of  Miles  Canyon  we  forged  our 
way  on  up  hill  and  down,  across  wet  spots,  over 
boulders  and  logs,  listening  to  the  roar  of  the 
mighty  torrent  dashing  between  towering,  many- 
colored  walls  of  rock,  where  the  volume  of  water 
one  hundred  feet  in  width  with  a  current  of  fifteen 
miles  an  hour,  and  a  distance  of  five-eighths  of  a 
mile,  rushes  insistently  onward,  as  it  has,  no  doubt, 
done  for  ages  past.  Then  at  last  widening,  this 
torrent  is  no  longer  confined  by  precipitous  cliflfs 
but  between  sparsely  wooded  banks,  and  now 
passes  under  the  name  of  "White  Horse  Rapids," 
from  so  strangely  resembling  white  horses  as  the 
waters  are  dashed  over  and  about  the  huge  bould- 
ers in  mid-stream.  Here  many  of  the  earlier  argo- 
nauts bound  watery  graves  as  they  journeyed  in 
small  boats  or  rafts  down  the  streams  to  the  Klon- 
dyke  in  their  mad  haste  to  reach  the  newly  discov- 
ered gold  fields. 

After  leaving  White  Horse  Rapids  we  traveled 
for  days  down  the  river.    My  little  stateroom  next 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  17 


the  galley  or  kitchen  of  the  steamer  was  frequently 
like  an  oven,  so  great  was  the  heat  from  the  big 
cooking  range.  The  room  contained  nothing  but 
two'  berths,  made  up  with  blankets  and  upon  wire 
springs,  and  the  door  did  not  boast  of  a  lock  of  any 
description.  Upon  application  to  the  purser  for  a 
chair  I  received  a  camp  stool.  Luckily  I  had 
brushes,  combs,  soap  and  towels  in  my  bag,  for 
none  of  these  things  were  furnished  with  the  state- 
room. In  the  stern  of  the  boat  there  was  a  small 
room,  where  tin  wash  basins  and  roller  towels 
awaited  the  pleasure  of  the  women  passengers,  the 
water  for  their  ablutions  being  kept  in  a  barrel, 
upon  which  hung  an  old  dipper.  To  clean  one's 
teeth  over  the  deck  rail  might  seem  to  some  an  un- 
usual undertaking,  but  I  soon  learned  to  do  this 
with  complacency,  it  being  something  of  gain  not 
to  lose  sight  of  passing  scenery  while  performing 
the  operation. 

At  Lake  La  Barge  we  enjoyed  a  magnificent 
panorama.  Bathed  in  the  rosy  glow  of  a  departing 
sunset,  this  beautiful  body  of  water  sparkled  like 
diamonds  on  all  sides  of  us.  Around  us  on  every 
hand  lay  the  green  and  quiet  hills.  Near  the  water's 
edge  they  appeared  a  deep  green,  but  grew 
lighter  in  the  distance.  Long  bars  of  crimson, 
gray  and  gold  streaked  the  western  horizon,  while 
higher  up  tints  of  purple  and  pink  blended  har- 
moniously with  the  soft  blue  sky.  As  the  sun 
slowly   settled   the   colors   deepened.     Darker   and 


1 8  Under  Way 

darker  they  grew.  The  warm  soft  glow  had  de- 
parted, and  all  was  purple  and  black,  including  the 
waters  beneath  us;  and  as  we  passed  through  the 
northern  end  or  outlet  of  the  lake  into  Thirty 
Mile  River,  we  seemed  tO'  be  entering  a  gate,  so 
narrow  did  the  entrance  to  the  river  appear  between 
the  hills. 

At  night  our  steamer  was  frequently  tied  up  to  a 
wood  pile  along  the  banks  of  the  river.  No  signs 
of  civilization  met  our  eyes,  except,  perhaps,  a  rude 
log  hut  or  cabin  among*  the  trees,  where  at  night, 
his  solitary  candle  twinkling  in  his  window  and  his 
dogs  baying  at  the  moon,  some  lonely  settler  had 
established  himself. 

The  Semenow  Hills  country  is  a  lonely  one. 
Range  upon  range  of  rolling,  partly  wooded,  hills 
meet  the  eye  of  the  traveler  until  it  grows  weary  and 
seeks  relief  in  sleep. 

Five  Finger  Rapids  was  the  next  point  of  interest 
on  our  route,  and  I  am  here  reminded  of  a  shor^ 
story  which  is  not  altogether  one  of  fiction,  and 
which  is  entitled:  Midnight  on  a  Yukon  Steamer. 


CHAPTER  II. 


MIDNIGHT  ON  A    YUKON    STEAMER. 


HE  bright  and  yellow  full  moon  drifted 
np  slowly  upward.  The  sun  had  just  set 
at  nine  in  the  evening,  casting  a  warm 
and  beautiful  glow  over  all  the  lonely 
landscape,  for  it  was  the  most  dreary 
spot  in  all  the  dreary  wilderness 
through  which  the  mighty  Yukon 
passes. 

The  steamer  had  tied  up  for  wood, 
and  now  the   brawny   stevedores,   with 
blackened  hands  and  arms,  were  pitching  it  to  the 
deck. 

To  the  passengers,  of  whom  there  were  a 
goodly  number,  time  hung  heavily  and  the  younger 
ones  had  proposed  a  dance.  Musical  instruments 
were  not  numerous,  but  such  as  there  were,  were 
brought  out,  and  two  non-professionals  with  an  ac- 
cordion and  a  banjo,  were  doing  their  very  best. 

A  small  number  of  sober  ones  were  to  be  seen  on 
deck,  pacing  restlessly  back  and  forth,  for  the  ruth- 
less mosquito  was  distinctly  in  evidence,  and 
threatened  to  outgeneral  the  quiet  ones,  if  not  the 
orchestra  and  the  hilarious  dancers. 

On  the  upper  deck,  a  lady,  clad  in  warm  cloak 
and  thick  veil,  walked  tirelessly  to  and  fro.  A  big 
stump-tailed  dog  of  the  Malamute  tribe  at  times  fol- 
lowed at  her  heels,  but  when  she  had  patted  his 


20 


Midnight  on  a  Yukon  Steamer 


head  and  spoken  kindly  to  him  he  appeared  satis- 
fied, and  lay  down  again  with  his  head  between  his 
paws.  Then  sounds  trom  the  dancers  below,  the 
shrill  laughter  of  the  women,  mingled  with  the 
strum  of  the  banjo  and  the  wheezy  accordion, 
seemed  to  disturb  the  dog's  slumber,  and  he  would 
again  pace  up  and  down  at  the  lady's  heels. 

At  times  there  would  come  a  lull  in  the  tumult, 
and  the  click  of  the  glasses  or  crash  of  a  fallen 
pitcher  would  make  a  variety  of  entertainment  for 
the  lady  and  her  dog  on  the  upper  deck;  but  the 
short  and  dusky  midnight  was  well  passed  before 
the  dancing  ceased  and  partial  quiet  and  order  were 
restored. 

Two  figures  remained  near  the  stern  of  the  boat. 
One,  a  young  woman,  with  a  profusion  of  long 
auburn  hair,  the  other  a  man  with  flushed  face  and 
thick  breath. 

"J  cannot  tell  now  which  one  it  will  be,"  said  the 
girl  coquettishly,  "but  if  you  wait  you  will  see." 

"No  more  w^aitin'  in  it,"  he  growled.  "I  have 
waited  long  enough,  and  too  long,  and  you  must 
choose  between  us  now.  You  know  we  will  soon 
be  at  'Five  Fingers,'  and  you  must  be  good  or 
they  may  get  you,"  with  a  wicked  leer  and  clutch  at 
her  arm  calculated  to  startle  her  as  she  carelessly 
sat  on  the  deck  rail. 

"I'm  not  afraid  of  'Five  Fingers'  or  any  other 
"fingers,  and  I'm  not  afraid  of  your  two  hands, 
either,"  making  her  muscles  very  tense,  and  sitting 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  21 

rigidly  upright,  "and  you  can't  scare  me  a  bit;  111 
do  as  I  like,  so  there!"' 

By  this  time  the  moon  shone  high  above  the  tops 
of  the  tall  slender  pines,  and  spread  its  soft  light 
over  all  the  swift  and  swirling  waters.  To  the  west, 
the  hills  faded  first  from  green  to  blue,  then  to 
purple,  and  lastly  to  black,  silhouetted  as  they  were 
against  the  quiet  sky. 

The  swift  flowing  current  pushed  the  waters  up 
among  the  weeds  and  bushes  along  the  river's  edge 
and  the  loose  rocks  were  washed  quite  smooth. 
Now  and  then  might  be  heard  the  bark  of  a  wood- 
chopper's  dog  stationed  outside  his  master's  cabin, 
and  the  steady  thud  of  the  steamer  never  stopped. 
At  two  o'clock  it  was  growing  light  again,  and 
still  the  young  man  pleaded  with  the  girl  on  the 
deck.    She  was  stubborn  and  silent. 

Swiftly  now  the  boat  neared  the  "Five  Fingers." 
Only  a  few  miles  remained  before  the  huge  boul- 
ders forming  the  narrow  and  tortuous  channels 
called  the  "Five  Fingers"  would  be  reached,  and 
the  face  of  the  pilot  was  stern.  It  was  a  most  dan- 
gerous piece  of  water,  and  many  boats  had  already 
been  wrecked  at  this  point. 

Suddenly  above  the  noise  of  the  waters  and  the 
steamer'?  regular  breathing  there  arose  on  the  quiet 
air  a  shrill  shriek  at  the  stern  of  the  boat. 

The  lady  on  the  upper  deck  had  retired.  The 
captain  was  sleeping  ofif  his  too  frequent  potations, 
and  only  the  pilot  on  the  lookout  knew  that  the 


aa  Midnight  on  a  Yukon  Steamer 

scream  came  from  a  woman;  but  it  was  not  re- 
peated. 

The  pilot's  assistant  was  off  watch,  and  his  own 
duty  lay  at  the  wheel;  so  it  happened  that  a  guilty 
man  who  had  been  standing  by  the  deck  rail  crept 
silently,  unnoticed,  and  now  thoroughly  sobered,  to 
his  stateroom. 

His  companion  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

A  small  steamer  following  next  day  in  the  wake 
of  the  first  boat,  came' to  Five  Finger  Rapids, 

"See  the  pretty  red  sea-weed  on  the  rocks, 
mamma,"  cried  a  little  boy,  pointing  to  the  low 
ledge  on  the  bank  of  the  east  channel. 

Those  who  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by 
the  boy  saw,  as  the  steamer  crept  carefully  up  to 
the  whirlpool,  a  woman's  white  face  in  the  water, 
above  which  streamed  a  mass  of  long  auburn  hair, 
caught  finnly  on  the  rocks. 

Standing  by  the  side  of  his  pilot,  the  captain's 
keen  eye  caught  sight  of  the  head  and  hair. 

"It's  only  Dolly  Duncan,"  he  said  with  a  shrug 
'of  his  shoulders.  "No  one  else  has  such  hair;  but 
it's  no  great  loss,  anyway;  there  are  many  more  of 
such  as  she,  you  know." 


CHAPTER   111. 


DAIVSON. 

Y  this  time  we  had  passed  the  Hootalin- 
ft  gua,  Big-  Salmon,  Little  Salmon  and 
Lewes  rivers,  and  were  nearing  the 
mouth  of  Pelley  River,  all  flowing  into 
one  stream  from  the  east  and  uniting 
to  form  the  upper  Yukon.  IMany 
smaller  rivers  and  creeks  from  the  west 
as  well  as  the  east  empty  into  this  river 
which  gathers  momentum  and  volume 
constantly  until  it  reaches  a  swiftness 
of  five  miles  an  hour  between  Five  Finger  Rapids 
and  Fort  Selkirk. 

This  latter  fort  is  an  old  Canadian  Post  where 
mounted  police  and  other  officers  and  soldiers  are 
stationed.  Never  shall  I  forget  my  first  experience 
at  Fort  Selkirk.  We  arrived  a-bout  one  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  and  were  told  that  our  steamer  would 
remain  there  an  hour,  giving  us  all  a  chance  to  run 
about  on  shore  for  a  change.  Taking  my  sunshade, 
and  attracted  by  the  wide  green  fields  dotted  with 
pretty  wild  flowers  of  various  colors,  I  rambled 
around  alone  for  an  hour,  all  the  time  keeping  our 
steamer  in  plain  sight  not  many  hundred  yards 
away.  Curious  to  learn  the  meaning  of  a  group  of 
peculiar  stakes  driven  into  the  ground,  some  of 
which  were  surrounded  by  rude  little  fences,  I  made 
my  way  in  a  narrow  path  through  the  deep  grass  to 


24  Dawson 

the  place,  and  soon  discovered  an  liidian  burial 
ground.  There  were,  perhaps,  twenty  little  mounds 
or  graves,  a  few  much  sunken  below  the  level,  as  if 
made  long  years  before,  but  all  were  marked  in 
some  manner  by  rude  head  boards. 

These  were  notched,  and  had  at  one  time  been 
fancifully  stained  or  colored  by  the  Ayan  Indians, 
the  stains  and  funny  little  inscriptions  being,  for  the 
most  part,  obliterated  by  the  elements.  Dainty  wild 
roses  here  nodded  gracefully  to  each  other,  their 
pretty  bloom.s  being  weighted  down  at  times  by 
some  venturesome,  big  honey  bee  or  insolent  fly; 
both  insects  with  many  others,  some  of  them  un- 
known: to  me,  buzzing  contentedly  in  the  sunshine 
overhead. 

Daisies  and  buttercups  grew  wild.  Flowering 
beans  and  peas  trailed  their  sprays  upon  the 
ground.  Blue  bells,  paint  brush,  and  other  posies 
fairly  bewildered  me,  so  surprised  was  I  to  find 
them  here  in  this  far  Northland.  Without  this  hap- 
piness and  cheer  given  me  by  my  sweet  little  floral 
friends  I  might  not  have  been  so  well  prepared  to 
endure  the  rudeness  that  was  awaiting  me. 

Upon  my  return  to  the  steamer  I  found  all  in  con- 
fusion. I  could  see  no  signs  of  departure  and  no 
one  of  whom  I  cared  to  make  inquiries.  Men  and 
women  were  coming  and  going,  but  none  appeared 
sober,  while  many  with  flushed  faces  were  loudly 
laughing  and  joking.  A  few  Canadian  police  in  red 
coats  scattered  here  and  there  were  fully  as  rollick- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  15 

ing  as  any,  and  the  steamer's  captain  and  purser, 
arm  in  arm  with  a  big,  burly  Canadian  official,  were 
as  drunk  as  bad  liquor  couid  well  make  them. 

Going  to  my  stateroom  1  sat  down  to  read,  and, 
if  possible,  to  hide  my  anxiety.  As  there  was  no  win- 
dow or  other  ventilator,  and  it  was  a  warm  day,  I 
could  not  close  the  door.  While  sitting  thus  the 
doorway  was  darkened,  and  looking  up  I  saw  be- 
fore me  the  drunken  Canadian  official,  leering  at  me 
with  a  horrible  grin,  and  just  about  to  speak. 

At  that  instant  there  stepped  to  his  side  the  tall 
form  of  the  only  really  sober  man  on  board  —  the 
Seattle  lawyer,  who,  in  his  most  dignified  manner 
motioned  the  officer  on,  and  he  went;  the  gentle- 
manly lawyer,  tossing  his  half-consumed  cigar  over- 
board in  an  emphatic  way,  as  if  giving  vent  to  his 
inward  perturbation,  marched  moodily  on.  Catch- 
ing a  glimpse  of  the  face  as  he  passed,  I  concluded 
that  the  situation  was  fully  as  bad  or  worse  than  I 
had  at  first  feared.  Already  we  had  been  several 
hours  at  Fort  Selkirk  and  should  have  been  miles 
on  toward  Dawson. 

The  captain  and  crew  were  too  drunk  to  know 
what  they  were  doing,  and  they  were  hourly  grow- 
ing more  so.  Many  were  gambling  and  drinking 
in  the  salon  or  dining  room,  and  others  came  from 
the  liquor  store  on  shore  a  few  rods  away.  The 
voices  of  the  women  were  keyed  to  the  highest 
pitch  as  they  shouted  with  laughter  at  the  rough 
jokes  or  losing  games  of  the  men,  while  red-faced. 


26  Dawson 

perspiring  waiters  hurried  back  and  forth  with  trays 
laden  with  bottles  and  glasses.  Now  and  then  the 
crash  of  a  fallen  pitcher  or  plate,  followed  by  the 
shrieks  of  the  women  would  reach  me,  and  looking 
through  the  great  cracks  in  the  board  partition 
which  was  the  only  thing  separating  me  from  the 
drunken  crowd,  I  could  see  most  of  the  carousal, 
for  such  it  now  was. 

My  anxiety  increased.  I  feared  the  danger  of  a 
night  on  board  in  a  tiny  stateroom,  without  lock 
or  weapon,  and  entirely  alone. 

"Mr.  H ,"  said  I  quietly,  a  little  later,  to  the 

man  from  Seattle,  as  I  stepped  up  to  him  while  he 
smoked  near  the  deck  rail.  "When  do  you  think 
the  steamer  will  leave  this  place?" 

"Tomorrow,  most  likely,"  in  a  tone  of  deep  dis- 
gust. 

"Do  you  not  think  that  the  captain  will  push  on 
tonight?"  I  asked  in  great  anxiety. 

"I  doubt  if  there  is  a  man  on  board  with  enough 
sense  left  to  run  the  engine,  and  the  captain — look 
there!"  pointing  to  a  maudlin  and  dishevelled  Cana- 
dian wearing  a  captain's  cap,  and  just  then  trying  to 
preserve  his  equilibrium  on  a  wooden  settle  near 
the  railing.  "It  would  be  a  blessing  if  the  brute 
tumbled  overboard,  and  we  were  well  rid  of  him," 
said  the  gentleman  savagely  in  a  low  tone.  Then, 
seeing  my  consternation,  he  added:  "I'll  see  what 
can  be  done,  however,"  and  T  returned  to  my  room. 

What  should  I  do!    I  knew  of  no  place  of  safety 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  27 

on  shore  for  me  during  the  night  if  the  steamer  re- 
mained, and  I  dared  not  stay  in  my  stateroom.  I 
had  no  revolver,  no  key  to  my  door.  I  might  be 
murdered  before  morning,  and  my  friends  would 
never  know  what  had  become  of  me.  There  was 
no  one  on  board  to  whom  I  could  appeal  but  the 
lawyer,  and  he  might  be  powerless  to  protect  me  in 
such  a  drunken  rabble.  With  a  prayer  in  my  heari 
I  made  my  nerves  as  tense  as  possible  and  shut  my 
teeth  tightly  together.  It  was  best  to  appear  un- 
concerned. I  did  it.  Suggesting  away  all  fright 
from  my  face  I  watched  proceedings  in  the  dining 
room  through  the  cracks  in  the  wall.  It  was  a  sight 
such  as  I  had  never  before  seen.  It  was  six  o'clock 
and  dinner  was  being  served  by  the  flushed  and 
flustered  waiters.  Probably  a  hundred  persons  sat 
at  the  tables  in  all  stages  of  intoxication.  Hilarity 
ran  high.  Most  of  them  were  wildly  jolly  and  gush- 
ingly full  of  good  will;  but  all  seemed  hungry,  and 
the  odors  from  the  kitchen  were  appetizing. 

I  now  hoped  that  the  dinner,  and  especially  the 
hot  tea  and  coffee  would  restore  some  of  these 
people  to  their  senses  in  order  that  they  might  get 
up  steam  in  the  engines  and  pull  out  of  this  terrible 
place  before  they  were  too  far  gone.  Dinner  was 
well  over  in  the  dining  room,  and  I  had  not  yet 
eaten.    A  waiter  passed  my  door.    He  stopped. 

"Plave  you  eaten  dinner?" 

''No,  I  have  not." 

"Don't  you  want  some?" 


28  Dawson 

"Well,  yes.    I  think  I  could  eat  something." 

"I'll  bring  you  some."    And  he  was  gone. 

A  few  minutes  later  he  entered  my  stateroom  with 
a  big  tray,  and  putting  it  upon  the  edge  of  the  upper 
berth  he  left  me.  I  ate  my  dinner  from  the  tray 
while  standing,  and  felt  better. 

An  hour  afterward  the  drunken  officials  had  been 
coaxed  into  going  ashore;  the  furnace  in  the  engine 
room  was  crammed  with  wood ;  the  partially  sobered 
pilot  resumed  his  place  at  the  wheel;  the  captain 
had  pulled  himself  together  as  best  he  could  under 
the  threats  of  the  lawyer  from  Seattle,  and  the 
steamer  moved  away  from  the  bank,  going  with 
the  current  swiftly  towards  Dawson.  Nothing  of 
further  importance  occurred  until  next  morning 
when  our  steamer  pulled  up  alongside  the  dock  at 
Dawson.  It  was  Monday  morning,  the  thirtieth  of 
July,  1899,  and  the  weather  was  beautifully  clear. 
I  had  been  fourteen  days  coming  from  Seattle. 
Hundreds  of  people  waited  upon  the  dock  to  see  us 
land,  and  to  get  a  glimpse  of  a  new  lot  of  "  Che- 
chakas,"  as  all  new  comers  are  called. 

Soon  after  landing  1  met  upon  the  street  an  old 
Seattle  friend  of  my  parents,  who  knew  me  instantly 
and  directed  me  to  my  father.  This  man's  kind 
offer  to  look  up  my  baggage  was  accepted,  and  I 
trudged  down  through  the  town  toward  the  Klon- 
dyke  River,  where  my  father  and  brother  lived.  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  father,  and  after  the  first 
surprise  and  our  luncheon  were  over  we  proceeded 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  29 

to  find  my  brother  at  his  work.  His  astonishment 
was  as  great  as  my  father's,  and  I  cannot  truthfully 
state  that  either  of  them  were  overcome  with  joy  at 
seeing  me  in  Dawson.  At  any  other  time  or  place 
they  undoubtedly  would  have  been  delighted,  but 
they  were  too  well  acquainted  with  conditions  to 
wish  another  member  of  their  family  there  in  what 
was  probably  then  the  largest  and  roughest  mining 
camp  in  the  world.  The  situation  that  presented 
itself  was  this.  Instead  of  finding  my  relatives 
comfortably  settled  in  a  large  and  commodious  log 
cabin  of  their  own  on  the  banks  of  the  Klondyke 
River,  as  they  had  written  they  were,  I  found  them 
in  the  act  of  moving  all  their  belongings  into  a  big 
covered  scow  or  barge  drawn  close  to  the  river 
bank  and  securely  fastened.  Cooking  utensils, 
boxes,  bags  of  provisions  consisting  of  flour,  beans 
and  meal,  as  well  as  canned  goods  of  every  descrip- 
tion, along  with  firewood  and  numerous  other 
things,  were  dumped  in  one  big  heap  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Klondyke  River  near  the  barge. 

The  small  sheet  iron  box  with  door  and  lid,  called 
a  Yukon  stove,  had  been  set  up  close  in  one  corner 
of  the  living  room,  which  in  size  was  about  eight  by 
ten  feet.  Two  bunks,  one  above  the  other  in  the 
opposite  corner,  had  been  lately  constructed  by 
father,  who  at  the  moment  of  my  arrival  was  busy 
screwing  a  small  drop  leaf  to  the  wall  to  be  used 
as  a  dining  table  w^hen  supported  by  a  coupleof 
rather  uncertain  adjustable  legs  underneath. 


3° 


Dawson 


The  meaning  of  all  this  commotion  was  not  long 
to  find.  Father  and  brother  had,  along  with  many 
more  as  peaceable  and  law-abiding  citizens,  been 
ordered  out  of  their  log  cabins,  built  at  a  great  out- 
lay of  time,  money  and  strength,  so  that  their  homes 
should  be  pulled  down  in  accordance  with  an 
order  given  by  the  Governor.  This  land,  as  the  citv 
had  grown,  had  increased  in  value  and  was  coveted 
by  those  high  in  authority.  No  redress  was  made 
the  settlers,  no  money  was  paid  them,  nothing  for 
them  but  insulting  commands  and  black  looks  from 
the  Canadian  police  enforcing  the  order  of  the 
Governor. 

"Never  again,"  said  my  father  repeatedly,  "will 
I  build  or  own  a  home  in  the  Klondyke.  This  scow 
will  shelter  me  until  I  make  what  money  I  want, 
and  then  good-bye  to  such  a  country  and  its  oppres- 
sive ofBcials."  ^ 

Other  men  cursed  and  swore,  and  mutterings  of 
a  serious  nature  were  heard;  but  there  was  nothing 
to  be  done,  and  the  row  of  comfortable,  completed 
log  cabins  was  torn  down,  and  we  settled  ourselves 
elsewhere  by  degrees.  A  bunk  with  calico  curtains 
hung  around  it  was  made  for  me,  and  I  was  consti- 
tuted cook  of  the  camp.  Then  such  a  scouring  of 
tins,  kettles  and  pails  as  I  had!  Shelves  were  nailed 
in  place  for  all  such  utensils,  and  a  spot  was  found 
for  almost  everything,  after  which  the  struggle  was 
begun  to  keep  these  things  in  their  places.  THen  I 
baked   and  boiled    and    stewed  and  patched   and 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  31 

mended,  between  times  writing  in  my  note  book, 
sending  letters  to  friends  or  taking  Icodak  pictures. 

I  was  now  living  in  a  new  world!  Nothing  like 
the  town  of  Dawson  had  I  ever  seen.  Crooked, 
rough  and  dirty  streets;  rude,  narrow  board  walks 
or  none  at  all;  dog-teams  hauling  all  manner  .of 
loads  on  small  carts,  and  donkeys  or  "burros" 
bowing  beneath  great  loads  of  supplies  starting  oiit 
on  the  trail  for  the  gold  mines. 

"Don't  do  that!''  shouted  a  man  to  me  one  day, 
as  I  attempted  to  "snap-shot"  his  pack  train  of 
twenty  horses  and  mules  as  they  passed  us.  Two 
of  the  animals  had  grown  tired  and  attempted  to 
lie  down,  thus  causing  the  flour  sacks  with  which 
they  were  loaded  to  burst  open  and  the  flour  to  fly 
in  clouds  around  them.  "Don't  do  that,"  he  en- 
treated, ''for  we  are  having  too  much  trouble!" 

Some  of  the  drivers  were  lashing  the  mules  to 
make  them  rise,  and  this  spread  a  panic  through 
most  of  the  train,  so  that  one  horse,  evidently  new 
to  the  business,  and  not  of  a  serious  turn  of  mmd, 
■ran  swiftly  away,  kicking  up  his  heels  in  the  dust 
behind  him..  There  were  also  hams  and  sides  of 
bacon  dangling  in  greasy  yellow  covers  over  the 
backs  of  the  pack  animals,  along  with  "grub"  boxes 
and  bags  of  canned  goods  of  every  description. 
Pickaxe's,  shovels,  gold  pans  and  Yukon  stoves 
with  bundles  of  stovepioe  tied  tOTether  with  ropes, 
rolls  of  blankets,  bedding,  rubber  boots,  canvas 
tents,  ad  infinitum. 


32  Dawson 

There  was  one  method  used  by  "packers,"  as  the 
drivers  of  these  pack  trains  were  called,  which 
worked  well  in  some  instances.  If  the  animals  of 
his  train  were  all  sober  and  given  to  honestly  doing 
their  work,  then  the  halter  or  rope  around  the  neck 
of  a  mule  could  be  tied  to  the  tail  of  the  one  preced- 
ing him,  and  so  on  again  until  they  were  all  really 
hitched  together  tandem.  But  woe  unto  the  poor 
brute  who  was  followed  by  a  balky  fellow  or  a 
shirk!  The  consequences  were,  at  times,  under 
certain  circumstances,  almost  too  serious  to  be  re- 
counted in  this  story,  at  least  this  can  be  said  of  the 
emphatic  language  used  by  the  packers  in  such  pre- 
dicament. 

One  warm,  bright  day  soon  after  my  arrival  in 
Dawson,  and  when  order  had  been  brought  out  of 
chaos  in  the  scow  —  our  home — I  went  to  call  upon 
an  old  friend,  formerly  of  Seattle.  Carrie  N.  was 
three  or  four  years  younger  than  myself,  had  been  a 
nurse  for  a  time  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  but 
grew  tired  of  that  work,  and  decided  in  the  winter 
of  1897  and  1898  to  go  into  the  Klondyke.  A  party 
of  forty  men  and  women  going  to  Dawson  wa5 
made  up  in  Seattle,  and  she  joined  them.  For 
weeks  they  were  busily  engaged  in  making  their 
preparations.  Living  near  me,  as  she  did  at  the 
time,  I  was  often  with  Carrie  N.  and  was  much 
interested  in  her  movements  and  accompanied  her 
to  the  Alaskan  steamer  the  day  she  sailed.  It  was 
the  little  ship  "Alki"  upon  which  she  went  away, 


A    KLONDIKE    CLAIM 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  33 

and  it  was  crowded  with  passengers  and  loaded 
heavily  with  freight  for  the  trip  to  Dyea,  as  Skag- 
way  and  the  dreaded  White  Pass  had  been  voted  out 
of  the  plans  of  the  Seattle  party  of  forty. 

Now  in  Dawson  I  called  upon  Carrie  N.  eighteen 
months  later,  and  heard  her  tell  the  story  of  her 
trip  to  the  Klondyke.  They  had  landed,  she  said, 
at  Dyea  from  the  "Alki"  with  their  many  tons  of 
provisions  and  supplies,  all  of  which  had  to  be 
dumped  upon  the  beach  where  no  dock  or  wharf 
had  ever  been  constructed.  Here  with  dog-teams 
and  sleds,  a  few  horses  and  men  "packers,"  their 
iupplies  were  hauled  up  the  mountain  as  far  as 
"Sheep  Camp,"  some  ten  miles  up  the  mountain 
side.  It  was  early  springtime  and  the  snow  lay  deep 
upon  the  mountains  and  in  the  gorges,  which,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Chilkoot  Pass  at  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain are  frightfully  high  and  precipitous. 

The  weather  was  not  cold,  and  the  moving  of  this 
large  party  of  forty  persons  with  their  entire  outfit 
was  progressing  as  favorably  as  could  be  expected. 
A  camp  had  been  made  at  Dyea  as  the  base  of  oper- 
ations; another  was  made  at  Sheep  Camp.  At  each 
place  the  women  of  the  party  did  the  cooking  in 
tents  while  men  gathered  wood,  built  fires,  and 
brought  water.  Other  men  worked  steadily  at  the 
hauling,  and  most  of  their  supplies  had  already 
been  transported  to  the  upper  camp;  when  there 
occurred  a  tragedy  so  frightful  as  to  make  itself  a 
part  of  never-to-be-forgotten  Alaskan  history. 


34  Dawson 

It  was  on  Sunday,  and  a  snow  storm  was  raging, 
but  the  weather  was  warm.  Hundreds  of  people 
thronged  the  trails  both  going  up  and  coming  down 
the  mountain  in  their  effort  to  quickly  transport 
their  outfits  over  to  the  other  side,  and  thus  make 
the  best  possible  time  in  reaching  the  gold  fields. 
Here  a  difference  of  oipinion  arose  among  the  peo- 
ple of  our  Seattle  party,  for  some,  more  daring  than 
the  others,  wished  to  push  on  over  the  summit 
regardless  of  the  storm;  while  the  more  cautious 
ones  demurred  and  held  back,  thinking  it  the  part 
of  discretion  to  wait  for  better  weather.  A  few  ven- 
turesome ones  kept  to  their  purpose  and  started 
on  ahead,  promising  to  meet  the  laggards  at  Lake 
Bennett  with  boats  of  their  own  making,  in  which 
to  journey  down  the  river  and  lakes  to  Dawson. 

Their  promises  were  never  fulfilled. 

While  they,  in  company  with  hundreds  of  others 
as  venturesome,  trudged  heavily  up  the  narrow 
trail,  a  roar  as  of  an  earthqitake  suddenly  sounded 
their  death  knell.  Swiftly  down  the  mountain  side 
above  them  tore  the  terrible  avalanche,  a  monster 
formation  of  ice,  snow  and  rock,  the  latter  loosened 
and  ground  off  the  face  of  old  Chilkoot  by  the  rush- 
ing force  of  the  moving  snowslide  urged  on  by  a 
mighty  wind.  In  an  instant's  time  a  hundred  men 
and  women  were  brushed,  like  flics  from  a  ceiling, 
off  the  face  of  the  mountain  into  their  death  below, 
leaving,  a  space  cleared  of  all  to  the  bare    earth 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  35 

where  only  a  few  seconds  before  had  stood  the 
patient  toilers  on  the  trail. 

Only  one  thing  remained  for  the  living  to  do,  and 
tliat  was  to  droD  all  else  and  rescue,  if  possible,  the 
dying  and  engulfed  ones.  This  they  did.  When 
the  wind  had  died  away  the  snow  in  the  air  cleared, 
and  hundreds  of  men  threw  themselves  into  the 
rescue  work.  Many  were  injured  but  lived.  Some 
v.ere  buried  in  snow  but  found  their  way  to  light 
again.  One  man  was  entirely  covered  except  one 
arm,  which  he  used  energetically  to  inform  those 
above  him  of  his  whereabouts.  He  was  taken  out 
unharmed,  and  lived  to  welcome  the  writer  of  this 
to  Dawson,  where  he  carted  and  delivered  her  trunk 
faithfully. 

But  Carrie  N.  had  remained  at  Sheep  Camp  and 
was  safe.  Then  her  experience  in  nursing  stood  her 
i*i  good  stead;  and  while  men  brought  the  dead  to 
camp,  she,  with  others,  for  hours  performed  the 
service.*:  which  made  the  bodies  ready  for  burial.  It 
was  a  heartrending  undertaking  and  required  a  cool 
head  and  steady  hand,  both  of  which  Carrie  N. 
possessed.  Two  men  of  her  party  thus  lost  their 
lives,  and  it  was  not  until  days  afterward  that  the 
last  of  the  poor  unfortunates  were  found.  Nearly 
one  hundred  lives  were  lost  in  this  terrible  disaster, 
but  there  were  undoubtedly  those  whose  bodies 
were  never  found,  and  whose  death  still  remains  a 
mystery. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  RUSH. 


INCE  the  discovery  of  gold  by  George 
O  Carmack  on  Bonanza  Creek  in  Sep- 
tember,  1896,  the  growth  of  this  country 
has  been  phenomenal,  more  espe- 
cially so  to  the  one  who  has  visited  and 
is  familiar  with  Dawson  and  the  Klon- 
dyke  mining  section. 

As  to  the  entire  yield  of  gold  from 
the  Klondyke  Creeks,  none  can  say 
except  approximately;  for  the  ten  per 
cent,  royalty  imposed  by  the  Canadian  government 
has  always  met  a  phase  of  human  nature  which 
prompts  to  concealment  and  dishonesty,  so  that  a 
truthful  estimate  cannot  be  made. 

The  Canadian  Dominion  government  is  very 
oppressive.  Mining  laws  are  very  arbitrary  and 
strictly  enforced.  A  person  wishing  to  prospect 
for  gold  must  first  procure  a  miner's  license,  paying 
ten  dollars  for  it.  If  anything  is  discovered,  and  he 
wishes  to  locate  a  claim,  he  visits  the  recorder's 
office,  states  his  business,  and  is  told  to  call  again. 
In  the  meantime,  men  are  sent  to  examine  the  local- 
ity and  if  anything  of  value  is  found,  the  man  wish- 
ing to  record  the  claim  is  told  that  it  is  already 
located.  The  officials  seize  it.  The  man  has  no  way 
of  ascertaining  if  the  land  was  properly  located,  and 
so  has  no  redress.     If  the  claim  is  thought  to  be 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  37 

poor,  he  can  locate  it  by  the  payment  of  a  fifteen 
dollar  fee. 

One-half  of  all  mining'  land  is  reserved  for  the 
crown,  a  quarter  or  more  is  gobbled  by  corrupt 
officials,  and  a  meagre  sliare  left  for  the  daring 
miners  who,  by  braving  hardship  and  death,  de- 
velop the  mines  and  open  up  the  country. 

"Any  one  going  into  the  country  has  no  right  to 
cut  wood  for  any  purpose,  or  to  kill  any  game  or 
catch  any  fish,  without  a  license,  for  which  a  fee  of 
ten  dollars  must  be  paid.  With  such  a  license  it  is 
unlawful  to  sell  a  stick  of  wood  for  any  purpose,  or 
a  pound  of  fish  or  game."  The  law  is  strictly  en- 
forced. To  do  anything,  one  must  have  a  special 
permit,  and  for  every  such  permit  he  must  pay 
roundly. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  miner  in  a  hospital  who 
was  about  to  die.  He  requested  that  the  Governor 
be  sent  for.  Being  asked  what  he  wanted  with  the 
Governor,  he  replied:  "I  haven't  any  permit,  and  if 
I  should  undertake  to  die  without  a  permit,  I  should 
■get  myself  arrested." 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  many  claims  on  Eldo- 
rado, Hunker  and  Bonanza  Creeks  have  turned  out 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars.  One  pan  of 
gravel  on  Eldorado  Creek  yielded  $2,100.  Frank 
Dinsmore  on  Bonanza  Creek  took  out  ninety 
pounds  of  solid  gold,  or  $24,480,  in  a  sinn^le  day.  On 
Aleck  McDonald's  claim  on  Eldorado,  one  man 
shoveled  in  $20,000  in  twelve  hours.    McDonald, 


38  The  Rush 

in  two  years,  dug  from  the  frozen  ground  ^2,207,- 
893.  Charley  Anderson,  on  Eldorado,  panned  out 
$700  in  three  hours.  T.  S.  Lippy  is  said  to  have 
paid  the  Canadian  government  $65,000  in  royalties 
for  the  year  1898  and  Clarence  Berry  about  the 
same. 

On  Skukum  Gulch  $30,000  were  taken  from  two 
boxes  of  dirt.  Frank  Phiscator  of  Michigan,  after 
a  few  months'  work,  brought  home  $100,000  in 
gold,  selling  one-third  of  his  claim  interests  for 
$1,330,000,  or  at  the  rate  of  $5,000,000  for  the 
whole. 

When  a  man  is  comipelled  to  pay  one  thousand 
dollars  out  of  every  ten  thousand  he  digs  from  the 
ground,  he  will  boast  little  of  large  "clean-ups"; 
and  for  this  reason  it  is  hard  to  estimate  the  real 
amount  of  gold  extracted  from  the  Klondyke  mines. 

Captain  James  Kennedy,  an  old  pioneer  and  con- 
servative mining  man,  estimates  the  output  for  the 
season  of  1899  ^s  $25,000,000,  or  fifty  tons  of  dust 
and  nuggets. 

The  most  commendable  thing  about  the  Cana- 
dian Government  is  their  strict  enforcement  of 
order.  Stealing  is  an  almost  unheard-of  thing,  and 
petty  thieving  does  not  exist.  Mounted  police  in 
their  brown  uniforms  and  soldiers  in  their  red  coats 
are  everywhere  seen  in  and  around  Dawson,  and 
they  practise  methods,,  which,  to  the  uninitiated 
make  them  very  nearly  omnipresent. 

While  walking  down  street  in  Dawson  one  morn- 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  39 

ing  about  nine  o'clock,  I  passed  a  group  of  men  all 
wearing  sober  faces.  "They're  done  for  now,"  said 
a  rough  miner,  glancing  in  the  direction  of  the 
BaTracks,  where  a  black  flag  was  fluttering  at  the 
top  of  a  staflf. 

"How  so?"  asked  another,  just  come  up  to  the 
group. 

"Three  men  hung  over  there,  an  hour  ago. 
They're  goin'  to  bury  'em  now,"  and  the  speaker 
twitched  his  thumbs  first  toward  the  Barracks,  then 
farther  east,  where  a  rough  stretch  of  ground  lay 
unused.  Here  could  be  seen  policemen  and  soldiers, 
evidently  in  the  midst  of  some  performance  not  on 
their  daily  routine. 

A  number  of  prisoners  wearing  the  regulation 
garb  of  convicts, — pantaloons  of  heavy  mackinaw, 
one  leg  of  yellow  and  the  other  of  black, — were 
carrying  long,  rough  boxes,  while  others  were  dig- 
ging shallow  graves. 

Upon  inquiry  I  found  that  what  the  miner  had 
said  was  true.  Three  prisoners,  two  of  them  Indian 
murdterers,  with  another  man  notoriousily  bad,  had 
indeed  been  hung  about  eight  o'clock  that  morning 
in  the  barracks  courtyard.  In  less  than  two  hours 
afterward  they  were  interred,  and  in  as  many  days 
they  were  forgotten. 

By  the  middle  of  July,  1899,  the  steamers  leaving 
Dawson  on  their  way  down  the  Yukon  to  St. 
Michael  and  the  new  gold  fidds  at  Nome,  were  well 
filled  with  those  who  were  anxious  to  try  their  luck 


40  The  Rush 

in  Uncle  Sam's  territory,  where  they  can  breathe, 
dig,  fish,  hunt,  or  die  without  buying  a  license. 

By  August  the  steamers  coming  from  St.  Michael 
brought  such  glowing  accounts  of  the  Nome  gold 
fields,  that  while  few  people  came  in,  they  carried  as 
many  out  as  they  could  accommodate. 

By  September  the  rush  down  the  Yukon  was  tre- 
mendous, and  of  the  twelve  thousand  people  in 
Dawson  many  hundreds  left  for  Nome. 

When,  after  six  weeks  spent  in  curiously  study- 
ing conditions  and  things, — not  to  say  people, — in 
the  great  mining  camp,  it  was  decided  that  I  should 
accompany  my  brother  down  the  Yukon  to  Cape 
Nome,  and  so  "out"  home  to  San  Francisco,  I  felt 
a  very  distinct  sense  of  disappointment.  The  nov- 
elty of  everything,  the  excitem'ent  which  came  each 
diay  in  some  form  or  other,  was  as  agreeable  as  the 
beautiful  summer  weather  with  the  long,  quiet 
evenings  only  settling  into  darkness  at  midnight. 

In  September  came  the  frosts.  Men  living  in 
tents  moved  their  little  Yukon  stoves  inside,  and 
brought  fresh  sawdust  and  shavings  from  tTie  mills 
for  their  beds.  Others  packed  their  few  possessions 
into  small  boats,  hauled  down  their  tents,  whistled 
to  their  dogs,  and  rolling  up  their  sleeves,  pulled 
laboriously  up  the  swift  little  Klondyke  to  their 
winter  "lays"  in  the  mines. 

Hundreds  were  also  leaving  for  the  outside. 
Steamers,  both  large  and  small,  going  to  White 
Horse  and  Bennett,  carried  those  who  had  joyfully 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  4 

packed  their  bags  and  smilingly  said  good-bye ;  for 
they  were  going  home  to  the  "States."  How  we 
strained  our  eyes  from  our  cabin  window  or  from 
the  higher  bank  above,  to  see  the  people  on  the 
decks  of  the  out-goinig  boats.  How  the  name  of 
each  tug  and  even  freight-carrier  became  a  familiar 
household  word,  and  how  many  were  the  conjec- 
tures as  to  whether  *'she"  would  get  through  to 
White  Horse  Rapids  in  the  low  water  before  a 
freezeup! 

One  day  our  own  steamer  came.  She  was  a  mag- 
nificently equipped  river  boat  called  the  "Hannah," 
belonging  to  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  and 
had  cost  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  This  was 
to  be  her  last  trip  for  the  season,  and  with  us  it 
was  "home  now,  or  here  all  winter,"  and  we  made 
ready  to  leave.  My  kodak  had  been  emptied  and 
filled  again,  calls  on  acquaintances  made,  and  good- 
bys  said.  My  battered  and  broken  trunk,  which, 
at  the  hands  of  the  English  customs  officials  had 
suffered  much,  had  now  to  be  repaired  and  put  to  a 
good  long  test.  This  box  was  In  a  state  of  total 
collapse;  rollers  all  gone,  covering  torn  and  bent, 
screws  and  nails  lost,  sides  split,  bottom  entirely 
dropped  out,  but  it  must  go;  so  my  big  brother  was 
wheedled  into  putting  it  into  some  kind  of  shape 
again,  and  it  came  out  stronger  than  before. 

No  lunches  were  needed.  The  cuisine  of  the 
"Hannah"  was  said  to  be  as  perfect  as  could  be  in 
tihis  far  away  corner  of  the  globe,  and  we  trusted  to 
that. 


42  The  Rush 

On  September  sixteenth  the  "Hannah"  sounded 
her  whistle — all  was  hurry  and  bustle,  and  such  a 
sight!  If  hundreds  had  stood  on  the  docks  to  wel- 
come us  as  we  entered  the  city,  there  were  thou- 
sands now.  It  was  pleasant.  We  felt  flattered, 
especially  as  the  band  struck  up  our  own  national 
airs,  giving-  us  a  medley  of  "Yankee  Doodle," 
"America,"  "Tramp,  Tramp,  Tramp,''  and  ''When 
Johnny  Comes  Marching  Home."  They  felt  con- 
strained, howcA'cr,  to  wind  up  with  ".Sweet  Marie," 
and  rag-time  dances,  one  old  fellow  in  slouch  hat 
and  with  a  few  drinks  too  many,  stepping  the  jigs 
ofT  in  lively  and  comical  fashion. 

Our  pride  was  perceptibly  lessened  afterward, 
when  we  learned  that  we  had  on  board  a  dance  hall 
outfit,  and  the  band  belonged  to  the  Monte  Carlo 
saloon! 

We  were  now  in  the  midst  of  a  group,  cosmopol- 
itan beyond  our  wildest  dreams.  Pushing  their  way 
through  the  crowd  to  the  gang-plank  came  men, 
women  and  dogs,  carrying  grips,  kodaks,  tin  cash 
boxes,  musical  instruments,  army  sacks,  fur  robes, 
and  rolls  of  blankets.  Struggling  under  the  weight 
of  canvas  tents,  poles,  Yukon  stoves  and  sleds,  as 
well  as  every  conceivable  thing,  they  climbed  the 
stairway  to  the  deck.  Here,  and  in  the  main  saloon, 
all  was  deposited  for  the  time  being. 

There  was  a  woman  with  a  fine  gray  cat,  for 
which  she  had  been  offered  fifty  dollars,  wrapped  in 
a  warm  shawl,  much  to  pussy's  disgust,    A  number 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  43 

of  women  had  dogs  and  were  weeping,  probably  at 
leaving  other  canines  behind.  Several  persons  car- 
ried little  grips  so  heavy  that  they  tugged  along — 
evidently  "Chechako,"  or  paper  money,  was  more 
scarce  with  them  than  dust  and  nuggets. 

As  freight,  there  was  a  piano,  many  iron-bound 
boxes  containing  gold  bullion,  securely  sealed  and 
labeled,  and  tons  of  supplies  for  the  consumption 
of  the  passengers,  of  whom  there  were  now  five 
hundred. 

Then  the  whistle  again  sounded  —  the  gang- 
plank was  hauled  in,  handkerchiefs  fluttered,  the 
band  struck  up  "Home,  Sweet  Hom'c" — we  were 
headed   down  the   Yukon   River   and   toward   the 

Arctic  Circle. 

******* 

We  had  now  a  journey  of  seventeen  hundred 
miles  before  us.  We  were  to  traverse  a  country 
almost  unknown  to  man.  We  were  two  of  a  party 
of  five  hundred  persons,  the  majority  of  whom,  if 
not  actually  desperadoes,  were  reckless  and  given 
over  to  the  pursuit  of  gold  regardless  of  the  manner 
of  its  getting.  There  were  loose  characters  of  the 
town  by  hundreds;  there  were  gamblers  running  a 
variety  of  games  both  day  and  night;  there  were 
dance  house  girls  and  musicians;  there  were  drunks 
and  toughs,  and  one  prize  fighter.  No  firearms  or 
knives  were  seen,  though  many,  no  doubt,  had 
them. 

With  the  enormous  amount  of  gold  on  board 


44  The  Rush 

(for  the  steamer's  safe  was  overflowing-,  and  the 
purser's  room  well  packed  with  the  precious  stuff), 
with  the  numbers  of  hard  characters  we  carried, 
and  the  now  increasing  remoteness  from  centres  of 
government,  there  were  dangers,  we  were  forced  to 
confess,  but  which  we  only  admitted  in  whispers. 

Three  hours  after  leaving  Dawson  we  were  tak- 
ing on  wood  at  Forty  Mile.  This  is  the  oldest  camp 
on  the  Yukon  River,  and  the  early  home  of  Jack 
McQuestion.  The  river  banks  were  lined  with 
canoes;  many  natives  stood  looking  at  us  from 
the  shore,  and  while  stevedores  handled  the  wood, 
many  passengers  visited  the  town.  It  was  not  long- 
before  they  came  back  with  hands  full  of  turnips, 
just  pulled  from  the  ground,  which,  had  they  been 
the  most  luscious  fruit,  could  not  have  been  eaten 
with  more  relish. 

I  then  tried  to  buy  one  of  a  young  man,  but  he 
had  evidently  been  long  away  from  such  luxuries, 
for  he  refused  to  sell;  afterward,  his  gallantry  get- 
ting the  better  of  him,  he  politely  offered  me  one- 
half  of  the  vegetable,  which  I  took  with  thanks. 

As  my  brother  peeled  the  precious  turnip,  I 
asked  him  how  long  since  he  had  eaten  one.  "Two 
years,"  he  promptly  replied.  Knowing  that  he  was 
especially  fond  of  such  things,  I  ate  a  small  slice, 
and  gave  him  the  remainder.  It  is  needless  to  say 
he  enjoyed  it. 

To  the  right  of  the  landing  at  Forty  Mile,  just 
across  a  small  stream  which  nms  into  the  Yukon, 


ON 
ON 

00 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  45 

is  Fort  Cudahy,  containing  the  stores  and  ware- 
houses of  one  of  the  large  companies,  as  well  as  a 
post-office. 

But  we  were  soon  off  again,  steaming  along  be- 
tween hills  yellow  with  fading  poplar  leaves  and 
green  streaked  with  pines.  Many  rocky  spurs  tow- 
ered grandly  heavenward,  with  tops,  like  silvered 
heads,  covered  with  newly  fallen  snow.  The  Yukon 
is  here  very  crooked  and  narrow,  and  abrupt  banks 
hedged  our  steamer  in  on  all  sides. 

Next  morning  early  we  arrived  at  Eagle  City, 
Alaska.  We  were  now  in  Uncle  Sam's  land,  and 
breathed  more  freely.  We  felt  at  home.  We  cheered 
and  waved  our  handkerchiefs  to  the  blue  uniformed 
soldiers  on  the  river  bank  who  had  come  to  see  us. 

We  went  ashore  and  called  upon  Lieutenant  L., 
lately  from  his  home  in  Connecticut  and  campaign- 
ing in  Cuba.  Taking  us  into  a  log  house  near  by, 
he  pointed  out  forty  thousand  rounds  of  ammuni- 
tion and  one  hundred  and  fifteen  Krag-Jorgensen 
rifles  of  the  latest  pattern. 

Here  were  stationed  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
men,  some  of  them  at  that  time  out  moose  hunting 
and  fishing.  Captain  Ray,  an  old  white-haired  gen- 
tleman, stood  outside  his  cabin  door.  At  Eagle  we 
saw  the  new  government  barracks,  just  being  fin- 
ished, the  logs  and  shingles  having  been  sawed  at 
the  government  saw-mill  near  by,  at  the  mouth  of 
Mission  Creek. 

We  were  particularly  struck  with  the  very  youth- 


46  The  Rush 

ful  appearance  of  our  soldiers,  and  their  wistful 
faces  as  they  watched  our  preparations  for  de- 
parture. 

The  lieutenant  had  said  that  life  in  Cuba,  or  m 
almost  any  old  place  was  preferable  to  that  at 
Eagle,  with  the  long  winter  staring  them  in  the  face, 
and  we  could  see  that  the  poor  fellow  longed  for 
home.  We  were  quite  touched,  but  tried  to  cheer 
him  as  best  we  could. 

Circle  City,  on  a  big  bend  of  the  river  from 
which  it  derives  its  name,  was  reached  the  following 
evening.  Here  all  hands  crowded  over  the  gang- 
plank and  into  the  stores.  In  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  write  it,  these  places  were  filled  with  miners, 
each  man  puiifing  away  at  his  strong,  old  pipe,  the 
companion  of  many  weary  months  perhaps;  while 
over  the  counters  they  handed  their  gold  dust  in 
payment  for  the  "best  plug  cut."  chewing  gum, 
candy,  or  whatever  else  they  saw  that  looked  tempt- 
ing. Here  we  bought  two  pairs  of  beaded  mocca- 
sins for  seven  dollars. 

As  a  heavy  fog  settled  down  upon  us,  our  captain 
thought  best  to  tie  up  the  steamer  over  night,  and 
did  so.  Next  morning  by  daylight  we  saw  the 
offices  of  the  United  States  marshal;  both  log 
cabins,  with  dirt  roofs,  upon  which  bunches  of  tall 
weeds  were  going  to  seed.  We  hoped  this  was  not 
"symbolicnl  of  the  state  of  Uncle  Sam's  affairs  in 
the  interior,  but  feared  it  might  be,  as  the  places 
seemed  deserted. 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  47 

Many  of  the  one  thousand  cabins  at  Circle  were 
now  vacant,  but  it  is  the  largest  town  next  to  Daw- 
son on  the  Yukon  River. 

During  the  whole  of  the  next  day  our  pilots 
steered  cautiously  over  the  Yukon  Flats. 

This  is  a  stretch  of  about  four  hundred  miles  of 
low,  swampy  country,  where  the  Yukon  evidently 
lose^  its  courage  to  run  swiftly,  for  it  spreads  out 
indolently  in  all  directions  between  treacherous  and 
shifting  sand-bars,  fairly  disheartening  to  all  not 
familiar  wdth  its  many  peculiarities. 

We  now  learned  for  the  first  time  that  we  were 
practically  in  the  hands  of  three  pilots,  two  of 
whom  were  Eskimos,  one  of  them  on  a  salary  of  five 
hundred  dollars  per  month.  This  man  was  per- 
fectly familiar  with  the  entire  river,  being  an  expert 
pilot,  as  he  proved  during  this  trip  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all. 

Owing  to  the  near  approach  of  winter,  and  the 
extremely  low  water  at  this  point,  the  captain,  crew, 
and  many  others,  wore  anxious  faces  until  the  Flats 
were  well  passed.  Should  our  steamer  stick  fast  on 
a  sand-bar,  or  take  fire,  we  might  easily  be  landed; 
but  to  be  left  in  such  a  bleak  and  barren  place,  with 
cold  weather  approaching,  snow  beginning  to  fall, 
no  shelter,  and  only  provisions  for  a  few  days,  with 
traveling  companions  of  the  very  worst  type,  and 
no  passing  steamers  to  pick  us  up,  we  would  indeed 
meet  a  hard  fate,  and  one  even  the  prospect  of 
which  was  well  calculated  to  make  strong  men 
shudder. 


CHAPTER  V. 


AT  THE  ARCTIC   CIRCLE. 


V 

i 

E  were  now  at  the  Arctic  Circle.  For 
three  days  we  had  no  sunshine,  and 
flurries  of  snow  were  frequent.  The 
mountain  tops,  as  well  as  the  banks 
and  sand-bars  of  the  river,  were  spread 
with  a  thin  covering  of  snow;  enough 
at  least  to  give  a  wintry  aspect.  This 
added  to  the  leaden  sky  above,  made 
the  warmth  of  big  coal  fires  acceptable 
indoors,  and  fur  coats  comfortable  on 
the  decks. 

At  Fort  Yukon  the  low  water  prevented  our  land- 
ing. We  were  told,  however,  that  the  place  con- 
tained one  hundred  log  houses,  as  well  as  an  old 
Episcopal  Mission,  in  which  Mrs.  Bumpus  had  lived 
and  taught  the  natives  for  twenty  years.  Many  of 
the  Eskimo  girls  are  trained  as  children's  nurses 
and  make  very  satisfactory  ones. 

Into  the  Yukon  Flats  empty  the  Porcupine 
River,  Birch  Creek  and  other  streams.  *Fort  Yukon 
was  established  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  many 
years  ago,  all  supplies  coming  in  and  shipments  of 
furs  going  out  by  way  of  the  McKensie  River  and 
the  great  Canadian  Lakes. 

Toward  evening  one  day,  while  the  stevedores 
were  busy  handling  wood,  we  went  ashore  and  vis- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  49 

ited  an  Eskimo  family  in  their  hut.  It  was  built 
on  the  high  river  bank  among  the  trees,  quite  near 
the  steamer's  landing.  On  the  roof  of  the  hut,  there 
lay,  stretched  on  sticks  to  dry,  a  large  brown  bear 
skin.  Near  by  we  saw  the  head  of  a  freshly  killed 
moose,  with  the  hoofs  of  the  animal  still  bloody. 

As  we  stooped  to  enter  the  low  door  of  the  cabin, 
we  felt  the  warmth  from  the  fire  in  the  little  Yukon 
stove  which  was  placed  in  the  corner  of  the  room. 
Next  to  this  was  a  rude  table,  on  which  lay  a  quar- 
ter of  moose  meat,  looking  more  or  less  tempting 
to  travelers  living  on  canned  goods. 

A  bed  stood  in  one  corner,  upon  which  two  or 
three  little  children  were  playing,  and  upon  a  pi4e 
of  rags  and  skins  on  the  floor  sat  an  old  Eskimo 
woman,  wrinkled  and  brown.  These  were  her  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren,  and  she  was  spending  her 
life  on  the  floor  of  the  cabin,  watching  the  little  ones 
play  around  her,  for  she  was  paralyzed. 

There  were  no  chairs  in  the  cabin,  and  but  few 
rude  utensils  and  playthings.  A  box  or  tin  can, 
which  had  contained  provisions,  was  now  and  then 
utilized. 

After  a  few  moments  with  the  Eskimos,  we 
backed  out  into  the  open  air  again,  for  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  hut  was  peculiar,  and  not  altogether 
agreeable  to  our  southern  olfactories.  It  reminded 
us  of  Mrs.  Peary's  description  of  native  smells  in 
Greenland. 

The  short  path  back  to  our  steamer  lay  through 


50  At  the  Arctic  Circle 

a  poplar  grove,  and  under  our  feet  was  spread  a 
carpet  of  brown  and  yellow  leaves,  which,  in  the 
cool  night  air,  smelled  ripe  and  woodsy. 

Next  came  Fort  Hamlin,  where  we  again  saw 
some  of  Uncle  Sam's  boys,  and  where  we  trudged 
out  through  the  soft  light  snow  and  took  some 
kodak  views. 

Ramipart  City  was  reached  in  the  early  evening. 
One  long  row  of  houses  upon  the  south  bank  of 
the  Yukon,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Minook 
Creek,  constitutes  the  town.  Here  empty  the  Little 
Minook,  Adder,  Hunter,  and  many  other  gold-bear- 
ing creeks,  and  a  bustling  town  sprung  up  only  to 
be  almost  depopulated  during  the  Nome  excite- 
ment. 

By  this  time  several  inches  of  snow  had  fallen, 
and  the  ground  was  freezing.  We  managed  here 
to  climb  the  slippery  steps  of  the  log  store  building 
in  the  dusk  and  buy  a  pound  of  ordinary  candy,  for 
which  we  paid  one  dollar. 

Again  we  were  in  deep  water.  This  time  so  very 
smooth  that  the  hills,  peaks,  trees  and  islands  were 
all  mirrored  on  its  surface,  and  very  beautiful. 

The  days  were  now  quite  short.  About  five  in 
the  afternoon  the  electric  lights  were  turned  on 
through  the  steamer,  fresh  coal  again  piled  on  the 
fires,  and  we  reminded  ourselves  how  comfortably 
we  were  traveling. 

Then  the  dinner  bell  rang,  and  we  sat  down  to 
dinner.        Some  attempt  at  decoration  had  been 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  51 

made,  for  tall  glasses  stood  in  the  centre  of  ihe 
tables  filled  with  ripe  grasses  and  pretty  autumn 
leaves,  but,  strange  to  relate,  we  were  more  inter^ 
csted  in  the  contents  of  our  soup  plates  and  what 
was  to  follow.  The  cold  and  bracing  air  during 
our  short  walks  on  deck  had  given  us  all  famous 
appetites,  and  we  relished  everything. 

After  hot  soup  with  crackers,  we  ate  of  fresh 
fish,  three  kinds  of  canned  meats,  baked  or  boiled 
potatoes,  with  one  other  kind  of  vegetable,  canned 
tomatoes,  corn  or  beans.  Side  dishes  consisted  of 
pickles,  olives,  cheese,  sardines,  canned  fruits,  fancy 
crackers  or  biscuits,  and  afterward  came  pudding 
and  pie.  These  last  were  made  from  various  canned 
fruits,  and  with  the  rice,  sago  or  tapioca  pudding, 
formed  most  enjoyable  desserts.  On  Sunday  nuts 
and  raisins  or  apples  were  added  to  the  menu. 

If  we  ate  with  keen  appetites,  we  were  not  too 
much  occupied  to  take  note  of  the  passengers 
around  us.  Nearly  opposite  sat  a  beautiful  woman 
with  a  profusion  of  auburn  hair  piled  high  on  her 
head.  She  was  fashionably  dressed  in  black  silk 
or  satin,  and  her  white  fingers  were  loaded  with 
costly  rings.  As  she  handed  a  dish  to  the  man  be- 
side her,  her  diamonds  and  other  gems  sparkled 
brightly.  Her  companion,  much  older,  had  a  hard 
and  villainous  face.  A  heavy  frown  of  displeasure 
habitually  rested  upon  his  brow,  and  his  glance  was 
shifting  and  evasive.     He  was  a  professional  gam- 


52 


At  the  Arctic  Circle 


bier,  kept  his  game  running  continually,  and  was 
going  to  Nome. 

At  the  end  of  the  table  sat  a  tall  and  pleasant 
mannered  young  Englishman,  with  blue  eyes  and 
ruddy  cheeks.  He  represented  mining  interests  in 
the  Klondyke  amounting  to  millions,  and  was  on 
his  way  to  London.  He  was  fond  of  wine,  and  con- 
sorted chiefly  with  those  who  were  fast  bringing 
him  down  to  their  level. 

There  was  the  girl  with  pretty  black  eyes,  lady- 
like movements,  low  voice,  and  exquisite  toilettes. 
A  blue-eyed,  pretty  little  blonde,  with  infantile  com- 
plexion, small  hands  and  feet,  and  wearing  a  tailor- 
made  suit  attracted  considerable  attention.  She 
was  fond  of  cigarettes  and  smoked  many  times  a 
day,  though  she  only  looked  "sweet  sixteen."  They 
were  both  dance-house  girls. 

There  was  a  young  and  handsome  Englishman 
in  the  triggest  of  dude  toggery,  but  having  a  squaw 
wife  and  three  children,  as  well  as  older  men  at  the 
.liead  of  similar  broods. 

The  long  tables  were  spread  two  or  three  times 
at  each  meal,  as  several  hundred  people  were  to  be 
fed. 

A  different  class,  and  a  worse  one  if  possible,  was 
met  with  at  these  late  meals.  Do  you  see  that  short, 
fat  woman  over  there  with  the  bleared  eyes,  and 
the  neck  of  a  prize  fighter?  She  is  a  Dawson 
saloonkeeper,  and  is  now  on  her  way  to  Nome. 

But  there  were  a  number    of    people    on    the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  53 

steamer  not  properly  belonging  to  this  set,  and 
after  supper  a  few  usually  gathered  in  one  corner 
to  listen  to  each  other's  experiences  in  the  far 
Northwest.  Some  were  tales  of  hardship,  sickness 
and  death;  some  of  hair-breadth  escapes  from  the 
jaws  of  an  Arctic  winter,  or  from  shipwreck.  One 
told  of  having,  two  years  before,  paid  $175  for  five 
sacks  of  flour  in  the  Klondike;  selling  the  same,  a 
few  days  later,  for  $500.  Stories  of  rich  strikes 
were  related;  how  one  man,  while  drunk,  was  per- 
suaded by  his  associates  to  trade  a  valuable  claim 
for  one  apparently  worthless;  his  indescribable 
feelings  the  next  day  and  until  he  had  prospected 
the  so-called  worthless  claim,  when  it  proved  ten 
times  richer  than  the  first  one. 

A  little  middle-aged  Norwegian  woman  told  her 
story  with  great  gusto.  She  had  sailed  from  Seattle 
two  years  before  with  Mayor  Woods'  expedition, 
getting  as  far  as  a  point  on  the  Yukon  River  two 
hundred  miles  below  Rampart  City.  Here  the  low 
water  prevented  their  going  farther.  She,  in  com- 
pany with  others,  made  her  way  to  Rampart  as  best 
she  coiild,  rested  and  "outfitted"  for  a  trip  to 
Dawson  over  the  ice.  Finally,  with  sleds  and  pro- 
visions, eight  dogs  and  four  men,  she  started.  It 
was  a  journey  of  about  eight  hundred  miles. 
Before  leaving  Rampart  she  experimented  with  fur 
sleeping  bags,  and  finally  made  one  in  which  she 
could  sleep  comfortably  on  the  ice  and  snow.  Rice 
and  tea  were  their  staple  articles  of  diet,  being  more 


54  At  the  Arctic  Circle 

quickly  prepared  in  hasty  camps  at  night,  and  being 
found  most  nourishing.  After  a  perilous  trip  of 
thirty-five  days  in  the  dead  of  winter,  they  reached 
Dawson  in  good  shape,  two  days  ahead  of  a  party 
of  men  with  whom  a  wager  had  been  made.  With 
these,  and  similar  stories,  we  whiled  away  the  long 
evening  hours  by  the  fire.  Alany  short  stops  were 
made  along  the  river.  A  few  little  settlements  were 
passed  during  the  night.  At  Holy  Cross  and  Rus- 
sian Mission  we  saw  flourishing  Catholic  schools  for 
the  natives. 

The  Yukon  was  now  getting  wider  and  wider, 
the  water  was  shallow  and  more  shallow,  then  sud- 
denly we  felt  a  heavy  jar.  The  big  stern  wheel  re- 
fused to  move, — we  were  stuck  fast  on  a  sand-bar! 
Here  we  remained  all  day,  dreading  a  hard  freeze 
which  was  liable  to  settle  down  upon  us  at  any 
time,  fixing  our  boat  and  us  in  the  ice  indefinitely. 
But  we  were  now  in  the  Aphoon,  or  eastern 
mouth  of  the  Yukon,  and  near  enough  to  Behring 
Sea  to  get  the  benefit  of  the  tides;  so  that  in  the 
early  evening  w^e  again  heard  the  thud  of  the  b'g 
machines,  —  the  steamer  quivered,  —  the  stern 
wheel  again  revolved, — we  had  entered  th"  Behring 
Sea! 

By  four  o'clock  next  morning  we  were  in  St. 
Michael  Bay,  having  covered  the  sixty  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  river  during  the  night.  Snow 
was  falling  heavily,  through  which  we  saw  the  lights 
of  the  harbor,  and  a  number  of  vessels  at  anchor. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  55 

By  daylight  we  counted  eleven  ships  and  two  rev- 
enue cutters  lying  under  the  lee  of  the  island. 

Breakfast  was  served  on  i)oard,  and  an  hour  latir 
we  went  ashore.  We  now  sought  the  steamer  com- 
pany's hotel,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  getting"  good 
rooms  and  seats  at  table;  for  we  were  still  in  their 
care,  having  bought  through  tickets  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. Here  we  were  to  wait  for  the  ocean  steamer 
"Bertha,"  which  was  now  nearly  due  from  that 
place,  and  we  anxiously  watched  t'he  weather  sigr.s 
hoping  all  would  be  favorable,  and  that  she  would 
very  soon  put  in  her  appearance. 

Our  hotel  was  a  new  frame  building  of  about 
forty  rooms,  lighted  by  electricity,  having  large 
halls,  pleasant  double  parlors  overlooldng  the  b?.y, 
with  a  good  view  of  incoming  ships  from  the 
north.  Just  across  the  street  stood  an  old  block 
house  or  fort,  containing  the  funny  little  cannon 
used  by  the  Russians  over  a  hundred  years  ago. 
The  antiquated  lock  on  the  door,  the  hundreds  of 
bullet  holes  in  the  outer  walls,  were  all  quaintly 
interesting. 

Half  a  mile  south  were  stores,  a  hotel,  another 
large  company's  dock,  and  in  good  weather  we 
tramped  over  there  or  north  the  same  distance  to 
the  headquarters  of  a  third  company.  These  three 
were  small  settlements  by  themselves,  and  consti- 
tuted, with  their  employees,  natives  and  dogs,  the 
whole  population  of  St.  Michael.  Good  sidewalks 
connected  these  different  stations  and  commanded 


$6  At  the  Arctic  Circle 

fine  and  extensive  views  of  the  surrounditig  water. 

St.  Michael,  as  an  island  is  not  large,  and  is  en- 
tirely without  trees  or  timber.  However,  there  is 
deep,  wet  moss  or  tundra  everywhere,  as  one  soon 
discovers  to  his  sorrow  if  he  attempts  to  leave  the 
plank  walks.  St.  Michael  Bay,  lying  between  the 
island  and  the  mainland  on  the  east,  is  a  fine  body 
of  water.  The  coast  line  is  well  defined  with  ranges 
of  mountains  zigzagging  their  cold  and  snowy 
peaks,  blue  tinted  or  purple  during  the  day,  and 
pink  in  the  setting  sun. 

St.  Michael  is  the  windiest  place  on  earth.  After 
a  few  days  spent  in  studying  the  native  dress  of  the 
Eskimos,  and  in  trying  to  adopt  my  own  dress  to  the 
freakish  breezes  I  concluded  that  if  I  stayed  at 
St.  Michael  I  should  dress  as  they  did.  If  I  started 
for  the  eating  room  with  my  hat  properly  placed 
on  hair  arranged  with  ever  so  much  care,  a  heavy 
beaver  cape,  and  dress  of  walking  length,  I  was 
completely  demoralized  in  appearance  five  minutes 
later  on  reaching  the  messhouse.  With  a  twisting 
motion  which  was  so  sudden  as  to  totally  surnrise 
me,  my  dress  was  wound  around  my  feet,  my  cape 
was  flung  as  if  by  spiteful  hands  entirely  over  my 
head,  causing  me  to  step  in  my  confusion  from  the 
plank  walk;  while  my  hat  was  perched  sidewise 
anywhere  above  or  on  my  shoulder.  One  unfortu- 
nate woman  wearing  an  overskirt  covering  a 
striped  cambric  sham,  was  seen  daily  struggling, 
with  intense  disgust  on  her  face,  up  the  steps  of  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  57 

eating   house,    with    her    unruly    overskirt    waving 
wildly  in  the  wind. 

But  this  wind  did  not  keep  the  Eskimo  women 
and  children  at  home.  Dressed  in  their  fur  parkics, 
which  are  a  sort  of  long  blouse  with  hood  attach- 
ment, short  skirts  and  muckluks,  or  skin  boots, 
they  trotted  down  to  the  beach  daily  to  fish,  stand- 
ing on  the  wet  and  slippery  rocks,  regardless  of 
wind,  spray  or  snow.  Here  they  flung  their  fish 
lines  out  into  the  water  and  hauled  the  little  fish  up 
dexteriousily;  when,  with  a  curious  twitch  they  dis- 
engaged the  finny  fellows  and  tossed  them  into  a 
big  pan.  Little  Eskimo  children  ran  on  in  front  of 
their  mothers,  and  shaggy  dogs  followed  close  be- 
hind at  the  smell  of  the  fish. 


CHAPTER.  VI. 


COMPANIONS. 

UT   there  were   passengers   arriving   at 
Y\  St.    Michael    each    day    from    different 

points  bound  for  Nome. 

At  last  the  side-whceler  ''Sai  lie"  was 
to  leave  for  Nome,  and  what  a  commo- 
tion! Men  in  fur  coats,  caps  and  mit- 
tens, leading  dogs  oF  all  colors  and 
sizes,  some  barking,  but  all  hustled 
along  with  no  thought  of  anything  ex- 
cept to  reach  Cape  Nome  as  quickly 
as  possible.  At  last  they  were  off.  A  rough,  and  in 
some  instances  a  drunken  lot,  but  all  hopefully 
happy  and  sure  that  they  would  "strike  it  rich"  in 
the  new  gold  fields.  Many,  no  doubt,  were  going 
to  their  death,  miany  to  hardships  and  d'.sapproint- 
ments  undreamed  of,  while  a  few  would  find  gold 
almost  inexhaustible. 

Still  we  waited  day  after  day  for  the  ocean 
steamer  "Bertha."  One  Sunday  morning  we 
looked  from  the  hotel  windows  to  see  a  clear,  cold 
sky,  with  sun  and  high  wind.  About  ten  o'clock 
we  heard  a  steamer  whistling  for  assistance.  She 
was  small  and  used  for  errands  by  one  of  the  steam- 
ship companies.  Still  none  went  to  the  rescue, 
as  the  gale  was  terrific.  A  steam  tug  started  out, 
but  she  passed  by  on  the  other  side,  not  caring  to 
act  the  part  of  good  Samaritan  to  a  rival.     In  a 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  59 

few  momenis  the  fires  of  the  Httle  steamer  were 
out,  —  she  was  sinking.  Through  a  glass  we  saw 
three  men  on  the  roof  of  the  craft  —  then  they 
clung  to  the  smokestack.  A  large  steamer, 
though  herself  disabled,  finally  reached  the  three 
drowning  men.  It  was  not  a  moment  too  soon, 
for  the  water  was  icy,  the  gale  fearful.  They  were 
then  hauled  in,  almost  exhausted  and  frozen. 

It  was  a  wild  day.  Soon  after  noon,  one  oi  the 
two  big  covered  barges  in  tow  by  the  "Lackme," 
already  loaded/  for  a  start  for  Nome,  began  to  sink. 
The  wind  came  from  the  north,  and  little  by  little 
the  barge  became  unmanageable,  until  at  last  she 
was  cut  loose  and  deserted.  For  a  hour  we  watched 
the  barge,  until  she,  too,  sank  out  of  sight  beneath 
the  waters  of  the  bay. 

Small  steamers  still  came  straggling  in  from 
Dawson  crowded  with  passengers  going  to  the  new 
gold  fields,  and  our  tired  cooks  and  stewards  in  the 
kitchens  were  rushed  both  day  and  night.  Here 
the  price  of  a  meal,  to  all  but  those  having  through 
tickets  to  San  Francisco,  was  one  dollar,  and  fif- 
teen hundred  meals  a  day  were  frequently  served. 

In  this  hotel  we  waited  two  weeks,  patiently  at 
times,  restlessly  at  other  times.  What  would  we 
do  if  the  "Bertha"  failed  to  appear?  Possibly  she 
was  lost,  and  now  drifting,  a  worthless  derelict, 
at  the  mercy  of  the  winds!  Not  another  boat 
would  or  could  carry  us,  tickets  on  each  one  hav- 
ing long  ago  been  sold.     If  we  should  be  frozen  in 


6o  Companions 

all  winter,  with  no  way  of  letting  our  friends  at 
home  know  of  our  whereabouts  for  six  months, 
how  terrible  would  be  their  anxiety,  how  hard 
for  us  in  this  exposed  spot  near  the  Arctic  Sea! 
Many  times  a  day  and  in  the  night  did  this  emer- 
gency present  itself  to  us,  and  we  shuddered. 
Each  day  we  climbed  the  hill  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away  to  look,  Robinson  Crusoe  like,  over  the  ocean 
to  see  if  we  could  discover  the  "Bertha." 

In  the  meantime,  with  note  book  and  pencil  in 
hand,  I  often  sat  in  the  parlor;  and,  while  occupied 
to  a  certain  extent,  I  gathered  sundry  bits  of  in- 
formation regarding  the  gold  fields  in  this  wonder- 
ful new  Golconda.  Two  million  dollars,  it  was 
said,  had  already  been  extracted  from  the  beach 
at  Nome,  and  no  estimate  could  be  made  on  what 
was  still  there.  The  pay  streak  ran  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  even  farther,  but  just  how  far,  no  one 
knew. 

Back  of  this  beach  spread  the  tundra,  an  expanse 
of  marsh,  ice  and  water,  which  extends  some  four 
miles  inland.  The  size  of  the  claims  allowed  by 
law  is  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
in  length,  and  six  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  width ; 
or  about  twenty  acres  of  land.  The  insignificant 
sum  of  $2.50  is  required  to  be  paid  the  recorder. 

In  the  York  district  the  area  allowed  for  claims 
is  smaller,  being  five  hundred  feet  in  width,  and  the 
length  depending  on  the  geographical  formation  or 
creek  upon  which  the  claim  is  situated. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  6i 

North  of  Nome  there  are  ninety  to  one  hundred 
miles  of  gold-bearing  beach  to  be  worked,  and 
again  to  the  south  a  vast  stretch  of  like  character 
extending  to  Norton  Bay.  The  tundra,  which  is 
nothing  but  the  old  beach,  follows  the  present 
shore,  and  is  fully  as  rich  as  the  surf-washed  sands. 
^lore  productive  and  larger  than  all  is  the  inland 
region,  traversed  by  rivers  and  creeks  that  form  a 
veritable  network  of  streams,  all  bordered  by  gold- 
producing  soil. 

Anvil  Creek,  Sunset  Gulch,  Snow  Gulch  and 
Dexter  Creek,  near  Nome,  are  all  exceedingly  rich; 
one  claim  on  Snow  Gulch  having  been  sold  for 
$185,000,  and  another  for  $13,000. 

Golovin  Bay  District  is  situated  eighty-five 
miles  east  of  Nome  City,  and  is  large  and  very  rich. 
Fish  River  is  the  principal  one  in  this  section,  and 
lias  innumerable  small  tributaries  running  into  it, 
most  of  which  are  also  rich  in  gold, 

Casa  de  Paga  is  a  tributary  of  the  Neukluk  River, 
and  very  rich.  On  Ophir  Creek,  claim  No.  four, 
above  Discovery,  $48,000  was  taken  out  in  nineteen 
days  by  the  Dusty  Diamond  Company  working  sev- 
enteen men.  On  number  twenty-nine,  above  Dis- 
covery, on  Ophir  Creek,  seventeen  dollars  were 
taken  out  a  day  per  man,  who  dug  out  frozen  gravel, 
thawed  it  by  the  heat  of  a  coal-oil  stove,  and  after- 
ward rocked  it. 

There  was  much  discussion  over  the  rights  of 
those  claiming  mining  lands  located  by  the  power 


62  Companions 

of  attorney;  though  the  majority  of  men  here 
seemed  to  believe  they  would  hold  good,  and  many 
such  papers  were  made  out  in  due  legal  form. 

At  last,  on  the  morning  of  October  ninth,  the 
"Bertha"  really  appeared.  It  was  a  clear,  cold 
day,  sunny  and  calm.  I  ran  in  high  spirits  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  bay  to  get  a  good 
view.  Sure  enough,  there  lay  the  bertha"  on  the 
bright  waters  as  though  she  had  always  been  there. 
How  rejoiced  everyone  was!  How  relieved  were 
those  who  intended  to  remain  here  because  of  the 
additions  to  the  winter's  supplies,  and  how  re- 
joiced were  those  w^aiting  to  get  away!  How  we 
all  bustled  about,  packing  up,  buying  papers  and 
magazines  just  from  the  steamer,  sealing  ancJ 
stamping  letters,  making  notes  in  diaries,  taking 
kodak  views,  saying  good-bye  to  acquaintances, 
ad  infinitum. 

All  were  willing  to  leave.  Finally  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  tenth  we  were  stowed  into  the  big 
covered  barge  which  was  to  take  us  out  to  the 
"Bertha."  It  was  cold  and  draughty  inside,  so 
we  found  a  sheltered  place  in  the  sun  on  some  piles 
of  luggage,  and  sat  there.  As  the  "Bertha"  was 
reached,  a  gang-plank  was  thrown  over  to  the 
barge,  which  came  as  close  alongside  as  possible, 
and  up  this  steep  and  narrow  board  we  climbed, 
clinging  to  a  rope  held  by  men  on  both  decks. 

Our  trouble  had  now  begun.  We  were  over- 
joyed at  making  a  start  at  last,  but  under  what 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  63 

conditions!  The  river  steamer  "Hannah"  had 
been  a  model  of  neatness  as  compared  with  this 
one.  On  deck  there  were  coops  of  chickens,  and 
pens  of  hve  sheep  and  pigs  brought  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  be  put  off  at  Nome,  as  well  as  a  full  pas- 
senger list  for  the  same  place.  On  the  way  here  a 
landing  had  been  attempted  at  Nome,  but  the  surf 
had  been  so  tremendous  that  it  could  not  be  accom- 
plished, and  passengers  still  occupied  the  state- 
rooms that  we  were  to  have.  However,  we  were 
■temporarily  sandwiched  in,  and,  about  four  P.  M., 
said  good-bye  to  St.  Michael. 

It  was  a  lovely  day  and  the  waters  61  the  bay 
were  very  calm.  Along  shore  in  the  most  sheltered 
places  were  numbers  of  river  steamers  and  smaller 
craft  being  snugly  tucked  up  for  the  winter.  From 
three  tall  flagstafifs  on  shore  there  floated  grace- 
fully as  many  American  flags  as  though  to  wish  us 
w^ell  on  our  long  journey  out  to  civilization. 

That  night  on  board  was  simply  pandemonium. 
Hundreds  of  people  had  no  beds,  and  were  obliged 
to  sit  or  walk  about,  many  sitting  in  corners  on 
the  floor,  or  on  piles  of  luggage  or  lying  under  or 
upon  the  tables.  Every  seat  and  berth  were  taken. 
Many  of  the  staterooms  below  were  filled  from 
floor  to  ceiling  with  flour  in  sacks  for  Nome,  as 
well  as  every  foot  of  space  in  passage-ways  or 
pantries.  ]\Tany  men  were  so  disorderly  from 
drink  that  they  kept  constantly  swearing  and  quar- 
relling, and  one  man,  in  a  brawl,  was  almost  top- 


64  Companions 

pled  into  the  sea.  To  make  things  worse,  the 
stench  from  the  pens  of  the  animals  on  deck  be- 
came almost  unbearable,  and  the  wind  came  up, 
making  the  water  rough. 

There  was  no  sleep  for  us  that  night.  We  longed 
to  reach  Nome  that  we  might  be  rid  of  some  of 
these  objectionable  things,  and  hoped  for  an  im- 
provement afterward. 

From  St.  Michael  to  Nome,  the  distance  is  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  and  the  latter 
place  was  reached  about  eight  A.  M.  A  little  be- 
fore dayhght  we  had  been  startled  by  a  series  of 
four  sudden  shocks  or  jars,  the  first  being  accom- 
panied by  a  very  distinct  creaking  of  timbers  of  the 
ship,  so  that  some  of  us  rose  and  dressed;  but  the 
ship  had  apparently  sustained  no  injury,  and  we 
proceeded  on  our  way.  Whether  we  had  struck  a 
rock,  or  only  a  sandbar,  we  never  knew,  for  the 
ship's  men  laughed  and  evaded  our  questions;  but 
the  passengers  believed  that  the  boat  had  touched 
a  reef  or  rock,  hidden,  perhaps,  beneath  the  surface 
of  the  sea. 

By  daylight  the  animals  had  been  removed  to 
a  barge,  and  soon  after  breakfast  the  Nome  pas- 
sengers were  taken  ashore  in  like  manner,  for  the 
surf  was  so  heavy  on  the  beach,  and  there  being  no 
docks  or  wharves,  it  was  impossible  for  a  large 
steamer  to  get  nearer. 

Away  in  the  distance  to  the  north  lay  the  famous 


ESKIMOS 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  65 

new  gold  camp  of  Nome.  Stretched  for  miles 
along  the  beach  could  be  seen  the  little  white  tents 
of  the  beach  miners,  back  of  which  lay  the  town 
proper,  and  still  back,  the  rolling  hills  now  partly 
covered  with  snow.  Not  a  tree  or  shrub  could  be 
seen,  though  we  strained  our  eyes  through  a  strong 
glass  in  an  effort  to  find  them.  A  few  wooden 
buildings  larger  than  the  rest  were  pointed  out  as 
the  Alaska  Commercial  Company's  warehouses  and 
offices,  near  where  the  loaded  barges  were  tossed 
by  the  huge  breakers  toward  the  beach. 

Passengers  now  went  ashore  to  visit  the  camps, 
but  to  my  great  disappointment  I  was  not  allowed 
to  do  so  on  account  of  the  tremendous  surf. 
When,  after  watching  others,  seeing  their  little 
boats  tossed  like  cockle  shells  upon  the  sands,  and 
hearing  how  thoroughly  drenched  with  salt  water 
many  of  the  people  were  while  landing,  I  gave  it  up, 
and  remained  on  board. 

For  five  days  we  lay  anchored  outside,  while 
stevedores  loaded  supplies  from  the  "Bertha"  on 
barges  towed  ashore  by  the  wide-wheeler  "Saidie." 
For  hours  the  wind  would  blow  and  the  breakers 
and  surf  run  so  high  that  nothing  could  be  done; 
then  at  sundown,  perhaps,  the  wind  would  die 
away,  and  men  were  put  to  work  unloading  again. 
The  calls  of  those  lifting  and  tnesring,  the  rattle  of 
pulle5'-s  and  chains,  never  were  stilled  nigfht  or  day 
if  the  water  was  passablv  smooth,  and  we  learned 
to  sleep  soundly  amid  all  the  confusion. 


66  Companions 

Next  morning  the  steamer  "Cleveland"  cast 
anchor  near  the  "Bertha."  Presently  we  saw  a 
small  boat  lowered  over  the  side  and  two  women 
were  handed  dbwn  into  it,  four  men  following  and 
seating  themselves  at  the  oars.  The  ship  on  which 
the  women  had  first  sailed  had  been  wrecked  on  St. 
George's  Island:  from  there  they  were  rescued  by 
the  revenue  cutter  "Bear,"  transferred  to  the 
"Cleveland,"  and  were  now  going  ashore  at  Nome, 
their  destination.  As  they  passed  us  we  noticed 
that  they  sat  upright  in  the  middle  of  the  lifeboat, 
the  hoods  of  their  cloaks  drawn  quite  over  their 
heads.  We  were  told  that  one  of  these  women  had 
come  to  meet  her  lover  and  be  married,  and  we  felt 
like  cheering  such  heroism. 

Next  day  the  bodies  of  several  men  were  picked 
up  on  the  beach  near  town.  They  had  started  for 
Cape  Prince  of  Wales  in  a  small  boat  and  been 
overtaken  by  disaster.  Many  were  dying  of  fever 
on  shore,  and  nurses,  doctors  and  drugs  were  in 
great  demand. 

Many  tales  of  interest  now  reached  our  ears,  but 
not  many  can  here  be  given. 

One  of  the  first  American  children  to  open  his 
eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  this  bleak  and  barren 
place  —  Nome  City — 'was  little  Willie  S.  His 
parents  lived  in  a  poor  board  shack  or  house  which 
his  father  hadi  built  just  back  of  the  golden  beach 
sands.  Here  the  surf,  all  foam-tipped,  spread  itself 
at  the  rising  and  falling  of  the  tides,  and  here  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  67 

miners    toiled    day    after    day,    washing    out    the 
precious  gold. 

It  was  here  that  Willie's  papa,  soon  after  the  baby 
came,  sickened  and  died.  He  had  worked  too  long 
in  the  wind  and  rain,  and  they  laid  him  under  the 
tundra  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

For  a  time  the  baby  grew.  The  mother  and  child 
were  now  dependent  upon  the  community  for  sup- 
port, but  the  burly  and  generous  miners  did  not 
allow  them  to  want.  Willie  was  a  great  pet  in  the 
mining  camp;  the  men  being  delighted  with  a  peep 
of  his  tiny,  round  face  and  pink  fingers. 

The  little  child  could  have  easily  had  his  weight 
in  gold  dust,  or  anything  else,  had  he  wanted  it. 
Big,  shining  nuggets  had  already  been  given  him 
to  cut  his  teeth  upon  when  the  time  came,  but  that 
time  never  came. 

Willie  died  one  day  in  his  mother's  arms,  while 
her  hot  tears  fell  like  rain  upon  his  face. 

Then  they  laid  him  to  sleep  beside  his  papa  under 
the  tundra,  where  the  shining  wheat-gold  clung  to 
the  moss  roots  and  sparkled  as  brightly  as  the  frost 
and  snow  which  soon  covered  everything. 

When  spring  came  Willie's  mamma  found  the 
baby's  tiny  grave,  and  put  wild  flowers  and  grasses 
upon  it,  and  there  they  nodded  their  pretty  heads 
above  the  spot  where  Willie  and  his  papa  quietly 
sleep. 

Passengers  for  San  Francisco  were  now  coming 
on  board  with  their  luggage.     Several  men  were 


6S  Companions 

brought  on  board  on  spring  beds,  being  ill  with  no 
contagious  disease,  A  box  containing  the  body  of 
a  man,  who  had  shot  himself  the  day  before,  was 
placed  upon  the  hurricane  deck,  lashed  down,  and 
covered  with  tarpaulins.  Strong  boxes  of  gold 
bullion,  with  long,  stout  ropes  and  boards  attached 
in  case  of  accident,  were  stowed  away  in  as  safe  a 
place  as  could  be  found.  Copies  of  the  first  issue 
of  the  "Nome  News"  were  bought  at  fifty  cents  a 
copy;  size,  four  pages  about  a  foot  square.  Beach 
sand  and  pebbles  were  handed  about  in  many  funny 
receptacles, — pickle  jars,  tin  cans,  flour  sacks, — 
any  old  time  would  do  if  only  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  the  golden  sand. 

One  night  about  three  o'clock  the  barge  brought 
the  last  passengers  and  freight.  The  water  was 
smooth,  the  moon  shone  brightly,  there  was  no 
wind,  and  the  captain  and  his  mate  gave  their 
orders  in  quick,  stern  tones.  They  were  in  haste 
to  leave.  They  had  lingered  here  too  long  already. 
All  were  soon  hustled  on  board;  the  "Saidie"  and 
her  barges  moved  away;  we  took  a  last,  long  look 
at  Nome  as  she  stretched  herself  on  the  golden 
sands  of  the  beach  under  her  electric  lights;  the 
"Bertha"  whistled,  stuck  her  nose  into  the  rollers 
and  steamed  away. 

A  more  majestic  old  body  of  water  than  Behring 
Sea  would  be  hard  to  find;  and  we  rememSer  it 
with  thanksgiving,  for  we  had  no  storms  or  rough 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  69 

weather  during  the  eight  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to 
Unalaska. 

Right  glad  was  I  that  we  were  fortunate  in  hav- 
ing a  pleasant  little  party  of  eight  or  ten  persons, 
and  our  evenings  were  spent  in  visiting,  spinning 
yarns,  and  singing  songs,  while  some  hours  each 
day  were  passed  on  the  hurricane  deck.  Here  we 
became  familiar  with  the  sea  phrases  commonly 
used,  and  watched  the  old  salts  "bracing  the  mast 
arms,"  "hoisting  the  jibs,"  or  "tacking,"  and 
could  tell  when  we  had  a  "cross  sea,"  a  "beam 
sea,"  or  a  "sou'wester."  As  we  neared  Unalaska 
on  the  Aleutian  Islands,  the  sea  became  rough, 
and  we  had  more  wind,  but  we  joyfully  sighted 
high  hills  or  rocks  to  the  east,  and  bade  good-bve 
to  old  Behring.  For  three  and  a  half  days  he  had 
behaved  well,  and  never  will  we  quietly  hear  him 
maligned. 

Unlaska  sweet  isle  of  the  sea!  How  beauti- 
ful she  looked  to  our  eyes  which  had  only  seen 
water  for  days!  Its  bold  and  rocky  cliffs,  its  tower- 
ing peaks  snow  capped ;  its  sequestered  and  wind- 
ing valleys,  and  bright,  sparkling  waterfalls;  its 
hillsides  in  all  the  artistic  shades  of  red,  brown, 
yellow,  green,  purple,  black  and  white;  its  water  in 
all  the  tints  of  blue  and  azure,  reflecting  sky  that 
looked 

"As  though  an  ancfcl  in  his  upward  flio-ht, 
Had  left  his  mantle  floating  in  mid-air," 


70  -  Companions 

All,  all,  greeted  the  eye  of  the  worn  voyager  most 
restfully. 

Clusters  of  quaint  red  buildings  were  soon  seen 
nestling  under  the  mountain  —  that  was  Dutch 
Harbor,  and  a  mile  farther  on  we  arrived  at  the 
dock  at  Unalaska.  We  would  be  here  twenty-four 
hours  taking  on  fresh  waler,  coal,  and  food,  they 
told  us,  and  we  all  ran  out  like  sheep  from  a  pen, 
or  school  children  at  intermission.  We  drank 
fresh  water  from  the  spring  under  the  g'reen  hill- 
side; we  bought  apples  and  oranges  at  the  store, 
and  furs  of  the  furrier;  we  rowed  in  a  skifT  and 
scampered  over  the  hills  to  Dutch  Harbor;  we 
watched  jelly-fish  and  pink  star-fish  in  the  water; 
we  saw  white  reindeer  apparently  as  tame  as  cows 
browsing  on  the  slopes;  we  visited  an  old  Greek 
church,  and  were  kept  from  the  very  holiest  place 
where  only  men  were  allowed  to  go,  retaliating 
when  we  came  to  the  cash  box  at  the  door  —  we 
dropped  nothing  in;  we  climbed  the  highest  moun- 
tain near  by,  and  staked  imaginary  gold  claims 
after  drinking  in  the  beauties  of  the  views  which  en- 
compassed us;  we  snapped  our  kodaks  repeatedly, 
and  then,  having  reached  the  limit  of  our  time  and 
strength,  wended  our  way  back  to  the  steamer  nov; 
ready  to  sail. 

Leaving  the  harbor,  we  all  stayed  on  deck  as  long 
as  possible  trying  to  fix  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery 
in  our  minds  so  it  could  not  slip  away,  and  then 
Priest  Rock  was  passed,  we  had  turned  about  east- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  71 

ward,  and  were  in  Unimak  Pass.  Here  the  winJ 
blew  a  gale  from  the  west,  on  account  ot  which  we 
were  obliged  to  go  below  to  our  staterooms  atter 
watching  the  sailors  lash  everything  on  the  hurri- 
cane deck  well  down  in  case  of  storm.  After  a  few 
hours  we  left  the  Pass,  with  its  precipitous  clififs, 
its  barren  and  rocky  slopes,  its  cones  of  extinct  vol- 
canoes, its  rough  and  deep  water,  and  headed  due 
southeast  for  "Frisco." 

Many  unpleasant  people  and  things  we  found  on 
board  as  we  proceeded,  for  not  all  of  these  had 
been  left  at  Nome;  but  with  a  philosopher's  forti- 
tude v/e  studied  to  overlook  everything  disagree- 
able, and  partly  succeeded.  That  our  efforts  were 
not  a  complete  success  was  due  partly,  at  least,  to 
our  early  education  and  large  stock  of  ideality,  and 
we  were  really  not  so  much  to  blame. 

The  remainder  of  our  journey  was  somewhat 
monotonous,  broken  only  by  drunken  brawls  at 
midnight  on  dteck,  waking  us  from  sound  sJumbers; 
or  the  sight  of  a  whale  spouting  during  the  clay- 
Sometimes  a  breeze  would  spring  up  from  the 
wrong  direction,  rolling  us  for  a  few  hours,  caus- 
ing us  to  prefer  a  reclining  posture  instead  of  an 
upright  one,  and  giving  our  complexions  a  still 
deeper  lemonish  cast;  sometimes  we  were  well  in- 
clined to  feed  the  fishes  in  the  sea,  and  did  not;  but 
at  all  times  we  were  thankful  that  matters  were  no 
worse. 

Then,  after  many  days  out  from  Unalaska   we 


•J2  Companions 

began  to  look  for  land.  Sea  gulls  and  goomes  had 
followed  in  the  wake  of  our  ship,  and  rested  them- 
selves each  day  aloft  in  the  rigging.  Sails  were 
now  and  then  seen  in  the  distance,  like  the  spread- 
ing white  wings  of  enormous  swaTis  gliding  quietly 
over  the  bosom  of  the  deep,  and  we  realized  that  we 
were  nearing  land.  In  the  darkness  one  night  there 
came  to  us  a  Httle  white  boat  containing  three  men, 
— one  was  a  pilot  to  guide  us  safely  through  the 
beautiful  Golden  Gate;  the  light  on  Point  Bonita 
was  sighted — we  were  almost  home. 

We  were  now  six  weeks  out  from  Dawson  and 
twenty-one  days  from  Nome;  we  had  no  storms, 
accidents  or  deaths  on  board,  and  carried  five  hun- 
dred passengers,  as  well  as  three  million  dollars  in 
gold.  I  had  been  away  from  home  four  months 
without  a  day's  illness,  and  during  my  trip  through 
Alaska  had  traveled  seventy-five  hundred  miles, 
nearly  one-half  of  this  distance  alone. 


CHAPTCA  VII. 


GOING  TO   NOME. 


NE  beautiful  day  in  the  spring  of  1900 
I  sailed  again  for  Alaska  —  this  time 
for  Nome  from  San  Fpancisco.  An 
English  family  consisting  of  the 
mother,  one  son  and  a  daughter  were 
to  accompany  me,  and  we  had  spent 
weeks  in  making  our  preparations.  We 
were  taking  supplies  of  clothing,  food, 
tents  and  bedding  sufficient  to  last  until 
some  of  our  numerous  plans  of  work  after  our  ar- 
rival brought  in  returns.  My  hope  was  to  meet  my 
father  there,  for  he  had  written  that  he  thought  he 
should  go  to  new  gold  fields,  where  he  could  do 
beach  mining. 

I  was  not  above  doing  any  honest  work,  and  felt 
confident  that  I  could  make  my  way  if  I  could  gain 
an  entrance  into  that  country.  The  English  people 
were  all  workers,  and  I  had  known  them  for  ten 
years  or  more. 

Our  steamer  was  the  good  ship  "St.  Paul,"  be- 
longing to  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  and 
was  advertised  to  sail  on  May  twenty-fifth.  When 
I  laughingly  called  the  attention  of  one  of  ttie  own- 
ers of  the  ship  to  the  fact  that  that  date  fell  upon 
Friday,  and  many  persons  objected  to  sailing  upon 


74  Going  to  Nome 

that  day,  he  postponed  the  starting  of  the  "St.  Paul" 
to  May  twenty-sixth,  and  we  left  bhe  dock  on  Sat- 
urday afternoon  amid  the  cheers  and  hand-waving 
of  thousands  of  people  who  had  come  to  see  the 
big  boat  off  for  Nome. 

The  steamer  was  well  fitted  out,  spick  and  span 
in  fre«h  carpets  and  paint,  and  crowded  to  the  ut- 
most capacity  for  comfort.  Every  stateroom  was 
full;  each  seat  at  the  tables  ocupied.  Not  a  foot  of 
space  above  or  below  decks  was  left  unused,  but 
provision  was  made  for  all,  and  the  ship  was  well 
manned. 

I  was  now  much  gratified  to  learn  that  there  were 
many  on  board  whom  I  had  met  before;  that  the 
steward,  stewardess  and  several  of  the  waiters  had 
been  on  duty  on  the  steamer  "Bertha"  during  my 
trip  out  from  Alaska  the  fall  before,  while  I  was 
upon  speaking  terms  with  a  dozen  or  more  of  the 
passengers  with  whom  I  had  traveled  from  the 
same  place.  Of  passengers  we  had,  all  told,  four 
hundred  and  eighty-seven.  Of  these  thirty-five  were 
women.  There  was  only  one  child  on  board,  and 
that  was  the  little  black-eyed  girl  with  her  Eskimo 
mother  and  white  father  from  Golovin  Bay,  whom 
I  had  seen  at  St.  Michael  some  months  before,  and 
who  was  now  going  back  to  her  northern  home. 
She  wore  a  sailor  suit  of  navy  blue  sergie,  trimmed 
with  white  braid,  and  was  as  coy  and  cunning  as 
ever,  not  speaking  often  to  strangers,  but  laughing 
and  running  away  to  her  mother  when  addressed. 


^w 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  75 

From  the  day  we  sailed  from  San  Francisco  until 
we  reached  Nome  I  missed  no  meals  in  the  dining 
salon,  a  pace  which  my  English  friends  and  otTiers 
could  not  follow,  for  they  were  uncomfortably  ill 
in  the  region  of  their  digestive  apparatus  for  several 
days.  I  slept  for  hours  each  day  and  thoroughly 
enjoyed  the  trip. 

During  the  nine  days'  sail  from  San  Francisco  to 
Unalaska,  a  distance  of  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-eight  miles,  I  studied  well  the  pas- 
sengers. We  had  preachers  on  board,  as  well  as 
doctors,  lawyers,  merchants  and  miners,  and  there 
were  women  going  to  Nome  to  start  eating  houses, 
hotels  and  mercantile  shops.  There  were  several 
Swedish  missionaries;  one,  a  zealous  young  woman 
from  San  Francisco,  going  to  the  Swedish  Mission 
at  Golovin  Bay. 

This  young  person  was  pretty  and  pleasant,  and 
I  was  glad  to  make  her  acquaintance  as  well  as  that 
of  three  other  women  speaking  the  same  tongue 
and  occupying  the  next  stateroom  to  mine.  The 
last  named  were  going  to  start  a  restaurant  in 
Nome.  As  they  were  sociable,  jolly,  and  good  sail- 
ors for  the  most  part,  I  enjoyed  their  society.  They 
had  all  lived  in  San  Francisco  for  years,  and  though 
not  related  to  each  other,  were  firm  friends  of  long 
standing  and  were  uniting  their  little  fortunes  in 
the  hope  of  making  greater  ones. 

The  young  missionary  was  a  friend  to  the  other 
three,  and  I  found  no  better  or  more  congenial 


76  Going  to  Nome 

companions  on  board  the  ship  than  these  four  hon- 
est, hard-working  women,  so  full  of  hope,  courage 
and  good  sense  as  well  as  Christianity.  Little  did 
I  then  think  that  these  people,  placed  by  a  seeming 
chance  in  an  adjoining  stateroom,  were  to  be  my 
fellow-workers  and  true  friends,  not  only  for  the 
coming  months  in  that  Arctic  land  to  which  we 
were  going,  but,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  perhaps 
for  years  to  come. 

Not  many  days  had  passed  when  we  found  that 
we  had  on  board  what  few  steamers  can  boast  of, 
and  that  was  an  orchestra  of  professional  musicians 
among  the  waiters.  These  men  were  going,  with 
all  the  others,  to  seek  /their  fortunes  in  the  new  gold 
fields,  working  their  passage  as  waiters  on  the  ship 
to  Nome,  where  they  intended  to  leave  it.  Three 
evenings  in  the  week  these  musicians,  with  the  help 
of  several  singers  on  board,  gave  concerts  in  the 
dining  salon,  which,  though  impromptu,  were  very 
enjoyable. 

A  sweet  and  trained  singer  was  the  English  girl 
of  our  company,  and  she  sang  many  times,  accom- 
panied by  the  stringed  instruments  of  the  musi- 
cians, much  to  the  delight  of  the  assembled  passen- 
gers. When  she  sang,  one  evening,  in  her  cledr 
sympathetic  voice  the  selection,  "Oh,  Where  Is  My 
Wandering  Boy  Tonight,"  there  was  not  a  drv  eye 
in  the  room,  and  the  mind  of  many  a  man  went  back 
to  his  old  home  and  praying  mother  iri  some  far 
distant  state,  making  him  resolve  to  write  oftener 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  77 

to  her  that  she  might  be  comforted  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  his  whereabouts  and  welfare.  These  even- 
ings were  sometimes  varied  by  recitations  from 
an  elocutionist  on  board;  and  a  practised  clog 
dancer  excited  the  risibles  of  the  company  to  the 
extent  that  they  usually  shouted  with  laughter  at  his 
exhibition  of  flying  heels. 

Day  after  diay  passed.  Those  who  were  co' tin- 
ually  seasick  had  diversion  enough.  It  was  useless 
for  us  to  tell  them  a  pathetic  tale  of  some  one,  who, 
at  some  time,  had  been  more  ill  than  they,  because 
they  would  not  believe  a  word  of  it,  and  it  was 
equally  useless  to  recommend  an  antidote  for  mal 
de  mer  such  as  theirs.  "No  one  was  ever  so  ill  be- 
fore," they  said.  They  knew  they  should  die  and  be 
buried  at  sea,  and  hoped  they  would  if  that  would 
put  an  end  to  their  sufferings.  We  tried  at  last  to 
give  them  comfort  by  recommending  out  of  former 
experiences  ship's  biscuit,  dry  toast  and  pop-corn 
as  remedies,  but  only  received  black  looks  as  our 
reward.  We  then  concluded  that  a  diet  of  tea,  coffee 
and  soup  was  exactly  such  a  one  as  the  fishes 
woufld  recommend  could  they  speak,  these  favorable 
and  much-used  liquids  keeping  up  a  continual 
"swishing"  in  one's  interior  regions,  and  causing 
one  to  truthfully  speak  of  the  same  as  "infernal" 
instead  of  internal.  But  they  were  all  free  physical 
as  well  as  free  moral  agents  and  decided  these 
things  for  themselves. 

At  last  we  entered  the  Japan  current  and  the 


78  Going  to  Nome 

v/eather  was  warmer  and  more  enjoyable.  On  Mon- 
day, June  fourth,  we  saw  from  the  deck  a  few  drift- 
ing logs  and  a  quantity  of  seaweed,  and  these,  with 
the  presence  of  gulls  and  goonies  flying  overhead, 
convinced  us  that  we  were  nearing  land. 

We  were  not  mistaken.  After  eating  an  excellent 
six  o'clock  dinner  we  went  above  to  find  ourselves 
between  high,  rocky  clififs,  which  loomed  up  into 
mountains  not  far  distant,  and  we  knew  we  were 
again  at  the  Aleutian  Islands  and  in  the  rough 
waters  of  Unimak  Pass.  As  we  drew  nearer  and 
entered  the  harbor  so  well  land-locked,  the  sun 
dipped  low  into  yellow-red  western  waters,  thereby 
casting  long  shadows  aslant  our  pathway  so  deli- 
cately shaded  in  greens. 

The  little  hamlet  of  Dutch  Harbor  nestled  cosily 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  which  bordered  the 
bay,  and  here  numbers  of  ships  lay  anchored  at  rest. 
Passing  alonig  easily  beyond  another  high  morn 
tarn,  we  were  soon  at  the  dock  of  Unalaska,  beside 
other  great  ships  in  port.  Both  groups  of  craft  were 
evidently  waiting  for  the  ice  to  clear  from  Beliring 
Sea  betore  proceeding  on  their  way  northward,  and 
we  counted  sixteen  ships  of  different  kinds  and 
sizes,  the  majority  of  them  large  steamers.  All  were 
loaded  with  passengers  and  freight  for  Nome. 
Scout  boats  had  already  been  sent  out  to  investigate 
and  find,  if  possible,  a  passage  through  the  ice 
fields,  and  the  return  of  these  scouts  with  good 
news  was  anxiously  watched  and  waited  for,  as  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  79 

most  desired  thing  at  that  time  was  a  speedy  and 
safe  landing  on  the  supposedly  golden  beach  sand.s 
of  Nome. 

At  Unalaska  we  spent  four  days  taking  on  tresh 
water  and  coal,  during  which  time  passengers  vis- 
ited back  and  forth  from  the  waiting  steamers, 
many  persons  having  friends  on  other  boats  and 
each  having  a  curiosity  to  see  if  they  were  faring 
as  well  or  ill  as  he,  comparing  notes  as  to  the  ex- 
pense of  traveling  with  the  different  companies,  etc. 
Passengers  on  the  "St.  Paul"  agreed  that  they 
had  "no  kick  comin',"  which  was  one  of  the  com- 
monest slang  phrases,  intended  to  mean  that  they 
had  no  fault  to  find  with  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  and  their  steamer  "St.  Paul."  All  were 
well  cared  for  and  satisfied,  as  well  they  might  be, 
with  the  service  of  the  ship's  men. 

Leaving  Unalaska  the  sun  shone  clear  and  cold 
upon  the  mountains  where  in  places  the  sides 
looked  back  from  the  late  fires  started  in  the  deep 
tundra  by  miscreants.  The  tops  of  the  mountains 
were  covered  with  snow.  Down  deep  gorges  dashed 
mountain  waters  of  melting  snow  and  ice,  hurrying 
to  leap  off  gullied  and  rocky  cliffs  into  the  sea.  Their 
progress  was  never  impeded.  No  tree  nor  shrub 
obstructed  the  way  with  gnarled  old  trunks,  twisted 
roots,  or  low  hanging  branches,  for  none  grow  in 
Unalaska,  and  the  bold  dignity  and  grandeur  of 
the  mountains  is  never  diminished  by  these  lesser 
objects. 


8o  Going  to  Nome 

As  our  ship  sailed  out  into  Behring  Sea  we  were 
closely  followed  by  the  steamer  "George  W.  Elder," 
whose  master,  an  old  friend  of  our  captain,  had  de- 
cided to  follow  in  our  wake,  he  being  less  familiar 
than  the  latter  with  Alaskan  waters,  and  having 
confidence  in  the  ability  of  his  friends  to  successfully 
pilot  both  ships  to  Cape  Nome. 


CHA.PT£R  VIII. 


FRE5H   DANGER. 


T  this  plan  all  the  passengers  appeared 
ik  pleased.     We  were  now  entering  upon 

the  most  dangerous  part  of  our  voyage. 
No  one  knew  what  was  before  us.     If 
our  ship  should  receive  serious  damage 
from  the  ice  floes  or  bergs  with  which 
we  were  almost  sure  to  come  in  con- 
tact, it  would  be  well  if  we  were  accom- 
panied by   a  sister    ship    which    could 
render  assistance.     If  she  were  in  trou- 
ble and  we  unharmed,  we  could  lend  a  helping  hand 
to  her;  and  so  none  murmured  at  the  unique  ar- 
rangement. 

Nothing,  however,  was  seen  of  the  much  dreaded 
ice  until  about  noon  on  Sunday,  June  tenth.  The 
air  had  been  steadily  growing  colder  so  that  woolen 
clothing  and  fur  wraps  were  in  demand.  Men  thrust 
their  hands  into  their  pockets,  or  drew  on  gloves 
while  they  stamped  their  feet  upon  deck  to  keep 
themselves  warm  in  the  open  air.  Soon  to  our 
right  lay  a  great  semi-circular  field  of  ice,  in  places 
piled  high,  looking  cold,  jagged  and  dangerous.  In 
the  distance  those  having  field-glasses  saw  two 
clumsy,  slow-moving  objects  which  they  could 
easily  distinguish  as  polar  bears  on  floating  cakes 
of  ice. 


82  Fresh  Danger 

By  the  latter  we  were  soon  surrounded,  and  were 
obliged,  slowly  and  cautiously,  to  pick  our  way 
through  towards  the  narrowest  spot,  or  where  the 
nearest  open  water  could  be  seen  beyond.  Floating 
ice  now  lay  all  around  us,  appearing  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  water;  below  it  the  bergs  extended  many 
times  that  distance.  Sometimes  they  were  small 
and  looked  harmless  enough;  but  many  were  large, 
massive,  and  full  of  death-dealing  power  if  urged 
against  the  sides  of  a  ship  by  the  wind  or  struck 
accidentally.  Carefully  we  picked  our  way  alone:, 
watched  as  we  were  by  every  soul  aboard  the 
"Elder"  following,  until  we  had  successfully  made 
our  way  through  the  ice  pack  and  glided  out  into 
the  blue  waters  beyond.  Then  came  a  great  shout 
from  the  throats  of  spectators  on  both  ships,  and 
praises  for  the  master  and  his  crew  who  were  doing 
such  good  work  were  loudly  sung. 

Immediately  our  manoeuvres  were  repeated  by 
the  '"Elder,"  and  we  watched  her  with  interest  eqlial 
to  their  own;  then  as  she  passed  the  danger  point 
and  swung  safely  through  the  icebergs  and  out, 
both  ships,  like  fresh,  uncaged  birds,  sped  lightly 
and  swiftly  over  the  water  northward. 

In  a  few  hottrs  we  were  awakened  from  afternoon 
naps  by  the  ringing  of  the  ship's  bell  and  found 
ourselves  again  surrounded  by  floating  bergs.  A 
man  in  the  bow  was  taking  soundings  with  lead 
and  line,  calling  out  every  few  seconds.  "No  bot- 
tom!    No  bottom!"  and  then  haulin"-  m  the  lead 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  83 

again  as  the  ship  crept  carefully  along'.  From  sub- 
merged floes  there  was  now  the  greatest  danger, 
but  we  gradually  drew  away  from  all  floating  ice 
and  sailed  safely  away  as  before. 

Each  Sunday  on  board  the  "St.  Paul"  had  been 
marked  by  some  religious  service  conducted  by  one 
of  the  preachers,  while  an  improvised  quartet  of 
voices  led  the  singing.  June  tenth  service  had  been 
held  in  the  forenoon,  when  a  short  sermon  had  fol- 
lowed the  singing  of  a  few  familiar  old  hymns  by 
the  assembled  passengers.  Now  in  the  early  even- 
ing, while  I  sat  with  a  few  friends  in  the  dining 
salon  rehearsing  hymns  for  the  coming  service, 
suddenly  the  ship's  bell  rang  out  upon  the  still  night 
air.  Instantly  there  came  a  jar,  a  quiver,  and  all 
rushed  out  upon  deck  to  see  what  had  happened. 
We  had  been  rudely  jostled  by  an  unseen  ice  floe 
while  the  eyes  of  the  pilot  had  been  occupied  by  the 
ones  visible.  Several  times  this  happened.  We 
were  in  the  midst  of  a  sea  of  ice  floes.  There  was 
no  visible  egress  ahead;  we  must  back  out,  if  pos- 
sible, as  we  had  come. 

Soon  our  steamer  was  stopped  for  the  night,  and 
religious  services  were  begun  in  the  dining  salon. 
About  one  hundred  persons  were  present.  Our 
quartet  sang  five  or  six  selections,  "Rock  of  Ages" 
and  "Throw  Out  the  Life  Line"  among  others. 
The  preacher  offered  prayer,  read  Scripture  prom- 
ises, and  spoke  feelingly  for  twenty  minutes.  He 
talked  of  our  lives  being  only  short  spans,  the  length 


84  Fresh  Danger 

of  which  depends  upon  the  will  of  God;  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  each  soul,  he  said,  to  be  prepared  to 
meet  its  Maker. 

It  was  a  solemn  moment  for  all.  Outside  the  ice 
drifted  slowly  about,  thick  fog  settled  over  us,  the 
ship's  whistle  sounded,  and  night  came  on.  The 
loneliness  increased. 

When  the  speaker  had  closed  his  remarks  he 
asked  that  the  quartet  sing  "Nearer  My  God  to 
Thee,"  and  we  sang  it.  Sweet  and  firm  was  the 
voice  of  the  English  girl  now,  and  when,  with  up- 
lifted arm  and  softly  spoken  benediction,  the  min- 
ister dismissed  us,  it  was  to  go  upon  deck  feeling 
stronger  and  much  comforted. 

There  was  yet  no  breath  of  wind  stirring.  For 
this  we  thanked  a  kind  Providence,  for,  had  the 
wind  risen,  our  lives  would  have  been  in  jeopardy 
indteed.  In  that  case  the  massive  ice  cakes  would 
have  been  blown  swiftly  and  heavily  about  to  crush 
all  ships  like  egg-shells  and  send  them  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sea. 

For  breakfast  we  ate  yellow  corn-bread  and 
bacon  with  a  relish  such  as  it  never  gave  at  home, 
and  even  those  who  had  been  seasick  for  days  were 
beginning  to  "get  away"  with  their  rations.  At 
eight  in  the  morning  the  anchor  with  its  rattling 
chain  was  dropped  and  we  lay  in  an  open  spot.  An 
hour  later  there  was  no  perceptible  motion  of  the 
ship,  the  sea  was  smooth  as  a  carpet,  and  our  tired 
captain  hao  gone  te  bed.    For  fortv-eight  hours  he 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  85 

had  not  slept,  nor  scarcely  left  the  bridge,  and  the 
rest  was  badly  needed. 

Two  days  we  lay  anchored  in  a  dead  calm,  wait- 
ing for  the  passing  ice  to  open  a  way  for  us  through 
to  Nome.  Three  ships  lay  near  us,  as  well  as  two 
larger  ones  out  farther  in  the  ice-fields;  but  the  fog 
hung  gray  and  persistent  over  our  heads  and  we 
could  do  nothing  but  wait.  Another  concert  was 
given  by  the  musicians,  and  as  the  steamer  lay 
gently  rocking  upon  the  waters  of  the  great  sea, 
through  the  open  front  windows  there  floated  out 
to  our  sister  ship  the  sweet  and  pleasing  strains  of 
the  violins  and  mandolins. 

Were  they  telling  in  lively  allegretto  movements 
of  our  safe  landing  on  golden  shores,  and  of  our 
successful  achievements  followed  by  a  safe  and 
happy  return  to  home  and  loved  ones?  Or  were 
the  adagois  mournfully  predicting  perils,  coming 
disaster  and  death?  Who  could  tell?  For  myself, 
I  felt  that  whatever  came  to  me  would  be  in  accord- 
ance with  the  will  and  wish  of  a  Higher  Power,  and 
it  would  be  all  right  in  any  case.  My  choice  was, 
of  course,  from  the  human  standpoint,  for  life,  hap- 
piness and  success  in  the  pursuit  of  gold;  but  this 
with  me  was  not  an  obstinate  nor  rebellious  senti- 
ment. Should  all  these  good  things  be  denied  me, 
I  could  say,  it  is  well.  I  felt  satisfied  that  the  way 
for  my  going  to  Alaska  had  been  wonderfully 
opened  by  an  Unseen  Influence  which  I  had  been 
taught  from  earliest  childhood  to  recognize,  and 


86  Fresh  Danger 

this  belief,  which  was  a  firm  and  abiding  one,  held 
me  calm  and  contented.  Night  after  night  I  slept 
in  my  berth  as  soundly  as  though  at  home  in  my 
bed,  and  not  even  the  sudden  jolt  and  quiver  of  the 
icebergs  coming  often  into  collision  with  the  ship 
caused  me  to  waken. 

The  night  of  June  twelfth,  about  eleven  o'clock, 
just  after  having  retired,  but  being  still  awake,  I 
heard  a  sudden  and  piercing  scream.  The  English 
madam  with  me,  being  still  dressed,  rushed  upon 
deck  to  find  out  the  cause  of  the  disturbance.  Rush- 
ing towards  her  with  pale  and  frightened  face  was 
her  daughter,  who  had  been  lunching  in  the  dining 
salon.  An  iceberg  of  immense  proportions  and 
greater  height  than  usual  had  struck  the  ship  with 
a  crash,  coming  up  suddenly  and  most  unexpectedly 
from  underneath  the  fog  bank  so  that  the  watchful 
pilot  was  taken  unawares.  The  English  girl  said 
the  berg,  when  alongside  the  ship,  reached  the 
height  of  the  upper  deck  and  appeared  like  a  huge 
mountain  of  ice  from  her  place  at  the  window.  Tt 
was  consternation  at  the  sight  of  what  was  appar- 
ently sure  and  speedy  destruction  which  had  caused 
the  woman's  scream. 

Invcsticration  was  immediately  made  of  the  ship's 
plates,  which,  thou^^h  considerably  dented  by  the 
ice,  were  still,  thanks  to  a  kind  Providence,  intact: 
and  again  I  settled  myself  for  the  night  and  slept. 

Next  day  men  were  restless.  They  wanted  to  !)" 
on  their  way  to  Nome.    It  was  not  for  this  that  they 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  87 

had  paid  a  large  price  for  their  tickets  and  assur- 
ances that  they  would  arrive  early  at  Nome;  and 
they  agreed  that  there  was  no  more  danger  in 
steaming  ahead  than  in  lying  anchored  with  the  ice 
bumping  into  us  and  liable  to  break  through  the 
ship's  sides  at  any  moment. 

"Will  you  sign  a  petition  to  the  captain  asking 
that  he  proceed  on  his  way  to  Nome  without  fur- 
ther delay?"  asked  a  friend  of  me  while  the  "St. 
Paul"  was  anchored  and  the  ice  still  drifting 
around  us. 

"They  are  circulating  such  a  petition,  and  have 
a  good  many  signers,  or  those  who  are  willing  to 
sign  it,  and  I  wanted  to  know  how  you  feel  about 
it,"  said  my  friend. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  the  captain?  Did  they 
not  announce  their  confidence  in  him  by  coming 
aboard  this  steamer,  and  has  he  done  anything  to 
cause  them  to  lose  faith  in  his  ability  to  pilot  them 
safely  through?  Has  he  not  brought  them  on  their 
voyage  thus  far  without  accident?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  yes,  certainly." 

"Then  I,  for  one,  shall  abide  by  the  captain's 
judgment,  and  remain  anchored  here  so  long  as 
he  sees  fit  to  order  it.  You  can  say  to  the  others 
that  I  will  sign  no  petition,"  said  I. 

Whether  my  decision  and  firmness  in  the  matter 
had  any  weight  with  others,  I  know  not;  but  the 
petition  was  dropped,  and  the  captain  probably 
never  knew  that  such  a  thing  had  been  proposed. 


88  Fresh  Danger 

The  morning  of  June  thirteenth  the  sun  shone 
out  clear  and  bright.  Great  fields  of  ice  surrounded 
us,  and  many  other  ships  were  also  hemmed  in  at 
different  places.  The  "Elder"  lay  contentedly  be- 
side us.  It  was  not  so  cold  when  the  fog  had  lifted, 
and  the  clearer  atmosphere  made  it  possible  to  see 
for  many  miles  over  the  berg-strewn  waters.  Men 
were  walking  restlessly  about  on  deck  trying  to 
keep  their  impatience  down  and  their  hands  and  feet 
warm.  They  feared  that  other  ships  with  hundreds 
of  passengers  would  land  at  Nome  before  they 
could,  and  that  would  mean  loss,  perhaps  in  many 
ways,  to  them.  We  were  less  than  two  hundred 
miles  from  Nome  and  could  easily  make  the  run 
in  a  day  if  allowed  a  free  sea. 

By  this  time  the  face  of  the  steward  began  to 
show  anxiety  and  he  watched  the  horizon  with  in- 
terest. Serving,  as  he  did,  nearly  fifteen  hundred 
meals  daily,  he  feared  a  shortage  of  supplies  if  the 
ship  was  delayed  many  days  longer.  Ten  sacks  of 
flour,  and  fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  meat  were  used 
daily,  and  other  things  in  proportion.  For  break- 
fast one  day  ninety  dozen  eggs  were  fed  to  the 
people. 

High  overhead  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  now 
hoisted  to  announce  our  joy  at  being  delivered  from 
so  many  dangers,  and  at  leading  the  way  for  others 
to  follow.  No  one  could  pass  us,  and  we  would, 
after  all,  be  among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first,  to 
reach  Nome. 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  89 

The  captain  looked  jaded  and  worn,  but  happy 
and  relieved,  being  able  now  to  get  some  of  the 
much-needed  rest  so  long  denied  him  when  in  the 
ice  fields.  When  congratulated  by  the  passen':!fers 
upon  his  skill,  for  by  this  time  they  had  entirely  for- 
gotten their  discontent  of  the  previous  days  and 
were  willing  to  give  him  and  his  crew  due  praise, 
he  smiled  and  thanked  them  kindly,  then  went  away 
to  rest. 

Early  next  morning  anchor  was  dropped  at 
Nome.  At  last  we  had  reached  our  destination. 
We  had  traveled  thirty-one  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
miles  in  nineteen  days  and  coul"!  have  don'"  it  in 
much  shorter  time  had  it  not  been  for  the  ice.  Sev- 
eral small  ships  lay  at  anchor  before  us,  but  we  were 
immediately  followed  by  many  large  steamers 
bringing  thousands  of  people  to  Nome.  The 
weather  was  splendid.  Many  of  the  passengers  were 
in  such  haste  to  reach  shore  that  they  left  without 
breakfast;  but  we  waited  until  ten  in  the  morning 
before  boarding  the  "lighter,"  and  I  donned  a  dress 
suitable  to  the  occasion.  This  was  cut  short,  and 
was  worn  with  high  stout  boots,  leggings,  warm 
coat,  cap  and  veil,  with  extra  wraps  for  the  trip  of 
two  miles  to  shore. 

Certainly  we  now  presented  a  verv  uniqu-^  spec- 
tacle. We  were  really  a  sort  of  Noah's  Ark  collec- 
tion, with  the  roof  of  the  Ark  omitted.  Women  in 
abbreviated  skirts,  long  rubber  boots,  golf  capes, 
caps  and  sweaters;  men  covered  in  long  "raglans," 


90  Fresh  Danger 

fur  coats,  "jumpers,"  or  whatever  happened  to  be 
at  hand;  and  all  rushing  pell  mell  in  the  direction 
of  the  lighter,  by  means  of  which  they  hoped  to  land 
on  the  golden  beach  of  Nome.  Baggage  there  was 
in  stacks.  There  were  boxes,  grips,  trunks,  army 
sacks;  everything  but  babies,  bird  cages  and  band 
wagons.  Passage  for  an  automobile  had  been  en- 
gaged in  San  Francisco,  but  at  the  last  moment  the 
lady  acompanying  the  big  machine,  was  suddenly 
indisposed  and  obliged  to  allow  the  "St.  Paul"  to 
sail  without  her. 

The  sea  was  now  quite  rough.  The  lighter  was 
brought  close  alongside.  The  rope  ladder  was 
thrown  over  the  side  of  the  ship,  with  its  lower  end 
dangling  upon  the  lighter's  deck,  and  we  were  told 
we  could  now  go  ashore. 

This  was  the  moment  for  which  we  had  longed, 
and  all  were  ready,  like  Cassibianca,  minus  the  fire 
and  peanuts.  The  fat  widow  of  the  company  tied 
her  bonnet  more  tightly  under  her  chin,  clutched 
at  her  pudgy  skirts,  and  grasping  the  deck  rail, 
placed  her  foot  upon  the  rope  ladder  to  descend. 

"Don't  look  down!"  shouted  some  one  to  her, 
fearing  she  might  grow  dizzy  if  she  did  so. 

"Don't  hurry;  take  your  time!"  called  out  an- 
other. 

"Keep  cool  and  you're  all  right!"  instructed  an- 
other, at  which  time  the  widow,  with  fluttering  veil, 
pale  face  and  eyes  starting  from  their  sockets  with 
fright  reached  the  lowest  round  of  the  ladder  and 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  91 

stepped  to  the  deck  of  the  lighter.  Her  bonnet  was 
awry,  the  belt  of  her  dress  had  become  unfastened, 
while  her  skirts  were  twisted  around  her  in  some 
unaccountable  way  and  her  teeth  chattering;  but 
she  only  drew  a  long  sigh  as  she  sank  in  a  limp 
heap  upon  an  army  sack  marked  with  big  black  let- 
ters, and  said  gaspingly:  "This  is  terrible!"  Others 
followed  her  example.  Some  protested  they  would 
rather  stay  on  the  ship  or  go  back  to  San  Francisco 
ihan  scramble  down  that  "beastly  rope  ladder," 
swaying  as  it  did  back  and  forth  with  every  motion 
of  the  ship  to  which  it  was  attached.  For  myself,  I 
had  never  posed  as  especially  courageous,  and  won- 
dered how  I  should  get  on.  But  I  said  nothing. 
From  watching  the  others  I  had  learned  that  to 
"make  haste  slowly"  was  a  good  method  to  follow 
in  the  present  case,  as  a  misstep  without  a  firm 
hand  grip  upon  the  sides  of  the  ladder  while  de- 
scending would  be  likely  to  send  one  without  warn- 
ing into  the  yard  wide  gulf  of  boiling  waters  be- 
tween the  ship's  side  and  the  lighter,  as  the  barge 
was  literally  dancing  attendance  upon  the  vessel  in 
the  rough  sea. 

Finally  everything  was  ready.  All  passengers 
had  left  the  ship.  The  lighter  was  crowded  to  the 
last  iwch  of  space;  baggage  and  freight  along  the 
sides,  and  passengers  in  the  middle,  sitting  where- 
cver  they  could  find  a  box  or  bag  upon  which  to  sit. 
A  tugboat  made  fast  to  the  lighter — we  said  good- 
bye to  the  "St.  Paul"  and  moved  away. 


92  Fresh  Danger 

"We  are  bidding  good-bye  to  all  comforts  now!" 
<;xclaimed  an  old  Nomeite  dubiously,  "for  we 
won't  find  any  on  shore;  leastwise  not  unless  it  has 
improved  more  in  the  last  ten  months  than  I  think 
it  has.  It  was  a  tough  place  enough  last  summer, 
and  that's  no  josh,  either!"  looking  around  him  at 
the  ladies  of  the  party  and  evidently  wondering 
what  they  would  think  of  the  celebrated  mining 
town. 

Many  by  this  time  looked  sober,  but  it  was  not  a 
hard  camp  that  they  feared.  They  had  expected  to 
find  a  typical  camp,  with  all  the  attendant  evils  usual 
in  such  a  place,  and  now  they  were  almost  there.  In 
fact  they  looked  out  over  the  heaps  of  baggage 
towards  shore  at  the  long  line  of  white  tents,  build- 
ings of  every  description  from  a  board  shack  to  a 
hotel  or  large  store,  and  it  seemed  good  in  their 
eyes — very  good.  For  some  unseen  reason,  as 
the  barge,  following  as  it  did  at  'the  end  of  the  long 
line  from  the  tug,  rode  first  upon  the  top  of  a  big 
breaker  and  then  below  in  the  trough,  there  was  a 
decided  longing  on  the  part  of  some  to  be  on  land. 
It  did  not  much  matter  where  it  was — Europe, 
Asia,  Africa  or  "any  old  place";  but  as  for  this 
"confounded,  zig-zaggin',  heavin'  old  hulk,  which  is 
tryin'  its  best  to  take  us  to  Honolulu  sideways — I 
want  no  more  of  it!"  growled  one  man. 

"Give  me  Nome  or  I  die!"  gasped  another. 

"No  more  big  water  in  mine  for  two  years,  and 
mebbe  by  that  time  they  will  have  air  ships  to  fly 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  93 

in,"  muttered  a  little  man  as  he  lay  on  his  back 
among  a  pile  of  bags  and  gulped  at  something  in 
his  throat  he  was  trying  to  keep  down. 

So  the  barge  bobbed  up  and  down  among  the 
breakers,  riding  to  the  crest  of  a  wave  with  a  glid- 
ing, graceful  motion,  only  to  reach  out  beyond  it, 
and  then,  as  the  waters  underneath  receded,  drop- 
ping heavilv  with  a  thud  and  a  splash,  making  one 
feel  that  he  was  being  dealt  with  most  uncere- 
moniously. 

The  same  thing  was  again  and  again  repeated, 
until  we  rode  as  close  to  the  shore  as  the  tug  could 
take  us,  then  the  line  was  cut,  a  rope  was  thrown 
us  from  shore,  and  with  a  steam  windlass  or  other 
contrivance,  we  were  hauled  upon  the  sands. 

Then  a  gangplank  was  speedily  pushed  out  over 
the  intervening  watery  space  which  the  passengers 
took  their  turns  in  crossing  until  all  stood  upon  the 
beach;  a  few,  to  be  sure,  with  wet  feet,  damp  cloth- 
ing and  soggy  tempers  if  some  vicious  big  breaker 
in  parting  had  dashed  its  white  foam-tipped  waters 
over  their  heads,  but  all  glad  and  thankful  to  arrive 
in  Nome  at  last. 


CHAPTER.  IX. 


NOME. 


HE   man   who   had   predicted   that   we 
TP  would    find     no     comforts     in     Nome 

proved  himself  a  true  prophett.     There 
were  none.     Crowded,  dirty,  disorderly, 
full   of   saloons   and   gambling  houses, 
with  a  few  fourth-class  restaurants  and 
one  or  two  mediocre  hotels,  we  found 
the  new  mining  camp  a  typical  one  in 
every   respect.     Prices  were   sky  high. 
One  even    paid  for  a  drink  of  water. 
Having  our  newly  found  Alaska  appetites  with  us, 
we  at  once,  upon  landing,  made  our  way  to  an  eat- 
ing house,  the  best  to  be  found. 

Here  a  cup  of  poor  tea,  a  plate  of  thin  soup  and 
questionable  meat  stew  with  bread  were  served  us 
upon  nicked  china,  soiled  table  linen  and  with  black- 
ened steel  knives  and  forks,  for  the  enormous  sum 
of  one  dollar  a  head;  which  so  dumbfounded  us 
that  we  paid  it  without  a  murmur,  backed  out  the 
door  and  blankly  gazed  into  each  other's  faces. 
''Such  prices  will  ruin  us!"  gasped  the  madam. 
"That  table  linen!  Ugh!"  shuddered  the  young 
man. 

"Fifteen  cents  in  California  for  such  a  meal'" 
growled  the  English  girl  in  her  matter-of-fact  way, 
and  with  wide  distended  eyes;  while  I  found  such 
amusement  in  watching  the  three  faces  before  me 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  95 

that  I  barely  found  breath  to  remind  them  of  the 
two  tons  of  nice  things  in  their  own  packing  cases 
at  the  landing. 

"If  only  they  are  soon  landed,"  groaned  madam, 
and  we  set  off  at  our  best  gait  to  find  the  cases. 

But  we  did  not  succeed.  The  freight  was  being 
unloaded  from  the  ship,  we  were  told,  as  rapidly  as 
it  was  possible  to  handle  it,  but  one  Ughter  and 
a  small  tugboat  in  a  very  rough  sea,  unloading  a 
ship  two  miles  ofif  the  beach,  must  have  time;  and 
we  waited.  Only  two  or  three  lighters  were  to  be 
had  at  Nome.  Other  large  steamers  were  being  un- 
loaded, and  hundreds  of  people  were  hourly  being 
landed  upon  the  beach.  There  was  no  shelter  for 
them  anywhere,  every  building  was  full,  and  con- 
fusion was  badly  confounded.  To  make  matters 
worse  it  began  to  rain.  If  we  could  only  find  our 
freight  and  get  our  tents,  bed,  supplies,  etc.,  we 
would  be  all  right,  but  it  would  be  impossible  that 
•day  we  found,  after  making  repeated  excursions 
through  the  freight  house  and  numberless  inquiries 
at  the  office. 

Something  must  be  done,  but  what?  I  now  re- 
membered some  Dawson  acquaintances  in  town 
made  the  fall  before  while  coming  down  the  Yukon 
River  with  my  brother.  To  one  family  of  these  I 
made  my  way.  They  were  in  the  grocery  and  bak- 
ery business  on  a  prominent  corner  on  First  street 
and  their  signboard  caught  my  eye. 

Blessings  on  the  heads  of  kind  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M. 


96  Nome 

of  Nome  City!  They  were  delighted  to  see  me. 
They  Hved  back  of  the  store  in  one  room,  which 
contained  their  bed,  stove,  cupboard,  baby-organ, 
table,  chairs  and  trunks;  but  they  also  owned  a  one- 
room  shack  next  door,  which  was  vacant  for  a 
few  days,  being  already  rented  to  a  dentist,  who 
would  make  some  repairs  before  taking  possession. 
T  could  bring  my  friends  and  baggage  into  this  vvith- 
out  charge,  if  I  wished,  until  we  secured  our  freight, 
Mrs.  M.  said  kindly,  and  I  pressed  her  hand  in  real 
gratitude  with  many  thanks. 

"I  am  almost  ashamed  to  show  you  the  room," 
said  the  kind  little  woman,  as  she  unlocked  the  door 
of  the  shack  and  stepped  inside,  "but  it  is  better 
than  no  shelter  in  this  rain,  and  you  can  have  a  fire 
in  the  stove,"  pointing  to  a  small  and  rusty  coal 
heater  in  one  corner.  "I  wish  I  had  some  blankets 
or  fur  robes  to  lend  you,  but  everything  I  have  is 
in  use.  You  are  welcome  to  bring  in  as  many 
friends  as  you  like,  if  they  will  share  the  poor  place 
with  you ;  and  you  are  quite  safe  here,  too,  for  yon 
see  the  barracks  are  just  opposite,"  pointing  across 
the  muddy  little  alley  down  which  a  few  boards  had 
been  laid  for  a  sidewalk,  "and  the  soldiers  are  here 
to  keep  order,  though  they  do  sometimes  find  it 
rather  a  hard  job." 

Then  I  thanked  the  little  woman  again  mo^t 
heartily,  and,  as  I  took  from  her  hands  the  door- 
key  and  stepped  outside  into  the  rain  to  bring  my 
waiting  friends  and  baggage  from  the  freight  house, 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  97 

I  offered  a  little  prayer  of  thanks  to  our  good 
Father,  and  hurried  away. 

At  the  steamer's  landing  all  was  hurly-burly  and 
noise.  It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  still  rain- 
ing at  intervals,  and  muddy  under  foot,  though  the 
weather  was  not  cold.  Finding  my  English  friends 
I  told  them  of  Mrs.  M.'s  kindness  and  offer  of  her 
room,  which  they  were  well  pleased  to  accept  with 
me,  and  we  gathered  up  our  luggage  and  started 
for  the  place.  Passing  through  the  freight  house 
on  our  way  to  the  street,  madam  said,  pointing  to 
the  figures  of  two  women  huddled  in  a  corner: 

"See!  Judge  R.  from  the  'St.  Paul'  has  not 
found  a  room  yet,  and  Mrs.  R.  and  her  friend,  thf^ 
nurse,  are  sitting  there,  waiting  for  the  judge  to 
return!  His  wife  is  nearly  sick,  and  they  have  no 
idea  where  they  can  get  a  room.  Judge  R.  has  been 
looking  hours  for  one  without  success,"  she  said, 
in  a  sympathetic  tone. 

"Let  us  speak  to  them,"  said  I,  going  over  to 
where  the  ladies  sat. 

Hearing  their  story  and  seeing  for  myself  that 
both  women  were  cold,  hungry  and  disheartened, 
I  decided  on  the  spot  to  share  Mrs.  M.'s  hospitalitv 
with  them;  made  the  proposal,  which  they  very 
thankfully  accepted,  and  we  trailed  off  up  the  street 
laden  with  luggage. 

Then  madam's  son  was  found,  informed  of  the 
situation,  asked  to  bring  Judge  R.  and  a  few  loaves 
of  bread  from  the  shop,  along  with  the  remaining 


98  Nome 

luggage,  to  our  new  camping  place  in  the  little 
board  shack  near  the  barracks. 

Seeing  us  arrive,  and  that  the  three  elderly  ladies 
looked  worn  and  travel-stained,  Mrs.  M.  urged  us 
to  come  into  her  room  and  take  tea  and  crackers 
which  she  had  already  placed  upon  the  table.  This 
invitation  the  older  ladies  gladly  accepted,  while  the 
English  girl  and  myself  looked  after  our  new  lodg- 
ings. 

Here  now  was  a  state  of  things  indeed!  The  en- 
tire stock  of  luggage  for  seven  grown  persons  was 
soon  deposited  in  the  middle  of  the  floor.  The 
room  of  which  the  shack  consisted  was  about  eight 
by  ten  feet  square,  set  directly  upon  the  ground, 
from  which  the  water  oozed  at  every  step  of  the 
foot.  Two  small  windows,  a  front  and  back  door, 
with  the  small  stove — that  was  all.  These  were 
our  accommodations  for  the  night,, and  perhaps  sev- 
eral nights  and  days. 

Then  we  two  set  to  work  with  a  will.  We  swept 
the  floor,  we  gathered  sticks  for  a  fire,  we  threw 
boards  down  outside  the  door  upon  which  to  walk 
instead  of  in  the  mud,  a  pail  of  water  was  brought 
from  a  hydrant  after  paying  twenty-five  cents  for  it, 
and  a  box  was  converted  into  a  table.  Luggage 
was  sorted,  lunch  baskets  were  ransacked,  while  tin 
cups,  coflfee  pot,  knives,  forks  and  spoons  were 
found,  with  a  fresh  white  cloth  upon  which  to  spread 
the  food. 

When  Judge  R.  finally  appeared,  it  was  supper 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  99 

time.  He  carried  a  tin  fry-pan  under  one  arm.  a  bag 
containing  one  dozen  eggs,  and  a  few  slices  of  ham 
on  a  paper  plate,  for  which  articles  he  had  paid  the 
goodly  sum  of  one  dollar  and  seventy-five  cents. 

Waving  the  fry-pan  above  his  old  gray  head,  the 
jolly  judge  shouted:  "See,  the  conquering  hero 
comes!  Oh,  but  I'm  hungry!  Say,  how  in  the 
world  did  you  get  this  place?  I  hunted  four  mortal 
hours  and  failed  to  find  a  shack,  room  or  tent  for 
the  night.  Four  thousand  people  landed  here  to- 
day, and  still  they  come.  Jerusalem  crickets! 
What  a  crowd!  Everybody  is  in  from  Dan  to  Bear- 
sheba!  We  will  have  fifteen  thousand  people  here 
soon  if  they  don't  stop  coming,  and  no  shelter  for 
'cm!"  Then  changing  his  tone  and  glancing 
toward  his  wife: 

"And  how  is  my  dear  little  wifey  by  this  time?" 
tenderly  patting  Mrs.  R.'s  white  hand,  which  be- 
longed to  a  woman  tipping  the  beam  at  two  hun- 
dred. 

"Aren't  you  glad  we  came?  I  am."  Then  rat- 
tling on  without  giving  his  wife  a  chance  to  speak, 
for  her  eyes  had  filled  with  tears: 

"I  think  I've  got  a  'case'  already.  Claim  num- 
ber four  on  D.  Creek  jumped  last  winter  while 
owner  was  away  —  jumper  won't  leave — talked 
with  owner  today  —  think  I'll  get  the  job,"  said  the 
hopeful  old  judge,  sitting  on  an  empty  cracker  box 
and  eating  bread  and  cheese  from  his  fingers. 

"Eat  your  supper,  dear,"  to  his  wife,  who  was 


loo  Nome 

•taking  nothing,  "and  you  shall  have  a  bed  tonight 
— the  best  in  Nome  City.  See!  There  it  is  now," 
pointing  to  a  big  roll  of  dark  brown  canvas  done  up 
with  a  few  varnished  sticks. 

"A  folding  cot  —  new  patent  —  good  and 
strong.  (It'll  need  to  be  strong  to  hold  you  up, 
won't  it,  dearie?)  Now,  please  take  your  tea  like 
a  good  girl,  to  brace  up  your  courage.  Or  would 
you  like  a  drop  of  sherry?" 

To  all  this  Mrs.  R.  shook  her  head,  but  she  did 
not  speak,  neither  did  she  attempt  to  eat,  for  there 
was  a  big  lump  in  her  throat  which  prevented. 

The  rest  of  our  party  enjoyed  the  supper.  Some 
sat  on  boxes,  others  stood  up,  but  we  ate  ham  and 
eggs,  bread,  butter  and  cheese,  tea  and  crackers, 
pickles,  jellies  and  jams,  as  being  the  greatest 
''comforts"  we  could  find  in  the  camp,  and  we 
made  them  speedily  disappear. 

At  last  the  supper  things  were  cleared  away,  anH 
remaining  food  repacked  in  the  baskets.  The  patent 
cot  was  unrolled,  set  up  and  made  ready  for  Mrs. 
R.,  who  was  the  only  one  favored  with  a  bed.  The 
others  finally  faced  the  proposition  and  prepared, 
as  best  they  could,  their  chosen  floor  space  for 
their  beds. 

All  slept  in  their  clothing,  for  we  had  no  bedding 
and  the  night  was  cold.  The  two  men  were  ban- 
ished to  the  outer  air,  where  together  they  smoked 
and  talked  of  affairs  of  the  day,  while  we  women 
unbuttoned  our  shoes,  took  out  a  few  hairpins, 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  loi 

cold-creamed  our  sunburned  faces,  and  then,  be- 
tween jokes,  stories  and  giggling,  we  settled  our- 
selves, with  much  difficulty  and  hard  snuggling, 
among  our  bags,  raincoats,  steamer  rugs  and  wraps 
on  the  rough  board  floor  for  the  night. 

Coming  in  later,  the  judge  spread  his  borrowed 
fur  robe  upon  the  floor  beside  his  wife's  cot,  cov- 
ered himself  with  one-half  of  the  same,  chuckling  as 
he  did  so. 

"I'm  glad  my  bones  are  well  cushioned  with  fat, 
and  that  I'm  old  and  tough  and  like  this  sort  of 
thing.  I  say,  wife,  isn't  it  jolly?"  And  the  portly 
and  sunny  old  judge  dropped  off  to  sleep  to  keep 
me  awake  most  of  the  night  by  his  snoring. 

If  I  slept  little  that  night  I  did  not  waste  my  time. 
My  brain  was  busy  forming  plans  of  action.  It  was 
not  wise  to  have  only  one  plan,  for  that  one  might 
fail.  Better  to  have  several,  and  some  one  of  these 
would  probably  succeed.  I  felt  a  good  deal  of 
anxiety  to  know  whether  my  father  or  brother  had 
or  would  come  to  Nome.  If  either  or  both  of  them 
came,  I  would  have  no  further  difficulty,  because  I 
would  work  for  and  with  them,  but  if  they  did  not 
come,  what  was  I  to  do? 

I  had  little  money.  I  would  not  go  home.  I 
would  work.  I  was  a  good  cook,  though  I  had 
never  done  such  work  except  for  our  own  home 
folks.  I  knew  that  cooking  was  the  kind  of  service 
most  in  demand  in  this  country  from  women,  for 
my  travels  in  Alaska  the  year  before  had  taught 


102  Nome 

me  that.  I  could  teach  music,  and  I  could  paint 
passably  in  water  colors  and  oils;  in  fact,  I  had  been 
a  teacher  of  all  three,  but  in  Alaska  these  luxuries 
were  not  in  demand.  I  could  not  expect  to  do  any- 
thing in  these  directions,  for  men  and  women  had 
come  to  Nome  for  gold,  expected  to  get  lots  of  it, 
and  that  quickly.  They  had  no  time  for  Beetho- 
ven's sonatas  or  water  color  drawings. 

It  was  now  an  urgent  question  of  foocf,  shelter 
and  work  with  all,  and  the  man  or  woman  who 
could  the  quickest  devise  ways  and  means,  the  one 
who  saw  the  needs  of  the  time  and  place  and  was 
able  to  supply  those  needs,  was  the  one  who  could 
make  the  most  money.  Of  course,  being  a  woman, 
I  was  unable  to  do  beach  mining  as  could  a  man, 
and  as  many  men  expected  to  do.  Those  who 
brought  large  outfits  and  plenty  of  money  with 
them  were  immediately  obliged  to  hire  help,  but  it 
was  generally  a  man's  help,  like  carpenter  worTc, 
hauling  and  handling  supplies  or  machinery,  mak- 
ing gold  washers  and  sluice  boxes,  or  digging  out 
the  gold  in  the  creeks.  None  of  these  could  I  do. 
On  the  steamer  all  these  things  had  been  well 
talked  over  among  ourselves,  for  others  besides 
myself  were  wondering  which  way  they  should  turn 
when  they  found  themselves  in  Nome. 

As  to  there  being  any  disgrace  connected  with 
work  of  any  sort — it  never  entered  my  head.  From 
a  child  T  had  been  taught  that  work  was  honorable, 
and  especially  for  a  woman  housework  nnd  cooking 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  103 

were  respectable  and  healthy  service.  So  I  hacT  no 
pride  whatever  in  the  matter;  it  was  only  a  question 
of  finding  the  work,  and  I  did  not  doubt  my  ability 
to  find  it  somewhere. 

On  the  voyage  from  San  Francisco  T  had  thought 
well  of  the  three  Swedish  women,  and  believed  they 
would  succeed  in  their  proposed  plan  of  restaurant 
work.  I  said  to  myself  that  if  I  were  obliged  to 
seek  work  I  should  like  to  be  with  them  if  possible; 
or,  at  least,  with  some  of  the  "lucky  Swedes,"  as 
the  rich  Anvil  Creek  mine  owners  were  usually  des- 
ignated. These  miners  all  hired  cooks  for  their 
camps,  as  they  kept  large  numbers  of  men  at  work 
dav  and  night  on  the  Anvil  Creek  claims,  the  season 
being  so  short  for  placer  mining  in  this  coimtry. 
Anvil  Creek  was  onlv  four  miles  away,  and  the  "Star 
Restaurant,"  as  my  friends  had  already  named  their 
proposed  eating-house,  would  be  headquarters  for 
all  the  Scandinavians  on  Anvil  and  the  entire  dis- 
trict. For  this  reason,  and  because  the  three  had  so 
many  acquaintances  who  would  bring  them  patron- 
age, and  because  their  pleasant  faces  and  agreeable 
manners  always  made  friends  for  them,  I  felt  sure 
that  they  would  be  able  to  give  me  work  if  they 
chose  and  I  so  desired.  Then,  too,  there  were  the 
several  Dawson  families  of  my  acquaintance  here, 
and  I  would  find  them;  possibly  some  of  them 
•might  give  me  work  if  I  asked  them. 

However,  the  first  move  to  be  made  was  to  find 
our  freight  and  baggage,  and  a  spot  upon  which  to 


I04  Nome 

pitch  our  tents,  and  the  sooner  that  was  done  the 
better,  as  the  best  and  cleanest  camping  places  were 
fast  being  appropriated  by  the  newcomers  hourly 
landing.  It  was  not  easy  to  find  a  clean,  dry  spot 
for  a  tent,  as  I  had  found  the  day  before  that  the 
black,  soggy  soil  was  hardly  free  from  frost  a  foot 
down,  and  this  made  it  everywhere  marshy,  as  the 
water  could  not  seep  down  nor  run  of?  where  it  was 
level.  Some  one  on  the  steamer  who  had  been  in 
Nome  before  had  advised  us  to  pitch  our  tents  on 
the  "Sandspit"  at  the  mouth  of  Snake  River,  as 
that  was  the  cleanest,  driest  and  most  healthful  spot 
near  fresh  water  that  we  could  find;  and  my  mind 
was  made  up  that  it  was  to  the  Sandspit  I  would 
go.  Many  had  been  the  warnings  from  friends  be- 
fore leaving  home  about  drinking  impure  ^water, 
getting  typhoid  fever  and  other  deadly  diseases,  and 
without  having  any  particular  fear  as  to  these  things 
I  still  earnestly  desired  a  clean  and  healthful  camp- 
ing place. 

This,  then,  was  the  way  I  planned  during  most 
of  the  first  night  after  landing  at  Nome,  If  I  slept 
it  was  towards  morning,  when  I  had  become  accus- 
tomed to  the  regular  and  stentorian  snores  of  the 
old  judge;  or  when,  for  a  few  moments,  after  turn- 
ing in  his  sleep,  his  snorts  and  wheezes  had  not  vet 
reached  their  loudest  pitch;  and  when  my  wishes 
had  shaped  themselves  so  distinctly  into  plans  for 
work  that  I  felt  relieved  and  full  of  confidence,  and 
so  slept  a  little. 


LIFE    AT    NOME 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  105 

Next  day  I  looked  for  my  father.    At  the  landing, 
on  the  streets,  in  the  stores,  at  all  times  I  was  on 
the  lookout,  though  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  find 
any  one  in  a  crowd  such  as  that  in  Nome,     I  saw 
several  acquaintances  from  Dawson  the  year  before, 
and  people  from  different  steamers  that  I  knew, 
but  not  my  father.    At  nine  o'clock  next  morning 
three  of  us  started  out  to  find  the  Sandspit,  with, 
if  possible,  a  good  camping  spot  to  which  we  could 
take  our  freight  as  soon  as  it  was  landed,  and  part 
of  our  number  was  detailed  to  stay  at  the  landing 
while  we  investigated.    Down  through  the  principal 
thoroughfare  we  pushed  our  way,  now  on  plank 
sid'ewalk,  now  in  the  middle  of  the  street  if  the  walks 
were  too  crowded;  but  going  to  the  west  end  of 
town  till  we  came  to  Snake  River  Bridge,  where 
we  crossed  to  the  Sandspit.     At  the  toll-gate  we 
easily  passed,  as  all  women  were  allowed  to  go  over 
free,  men  only  being  charged  ten  cents  toll.    Here 
we  quickly  found  a  clean,  dry  place  on  the  river 
bank  a  hundred  feet  below  the  bridge  and  two  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  ocean,  which  we  chose  for  our 
tents.     Now  arose   the   question,   would   any  one 
have  any  objection  to  our  pitching  our  tents  tem- 
porarily?   Seeing  some  men  striking  camp  near  by 
we  asked  them.    They  told  us  that  we  could  get 
permission,  they  thought  from  an  old  captain  near 
by  on  a  stranded  boat,  now  being  used  as  an  eating 
house,  and  to  him  we  went.    He  was  not  in. 

Going  back  to  the  Sandspit,  it  was  decided  that 


io6  Nome 

I  should  remain  upon  the  spot,  while  my  com- 
panions went  back  to  the  landing.  I  was  to  remain 
there  till  some  of  them  came  back.  This  I  did, 
sitting  on  a  box  in  the  sunshine  with  my  kodak, 
umbrella  and  lunch  basket  beside  me  for  hours. 
When  madam  returned,  saying  their  search  for  their 
freight  was  still  unavailing,  I  left  her  in  my  place 
and  again  called  upon  the  captain. 

Calling  the  third  time  at  his  boat,  I  found  him 
and  secured  his  ready  permission  to  temporarily 
pitch  our  tents  upon  the  sands,  for  he  was  an  Alder- 
man with  adjoining  "town  lots,"  he  told  us. 

By  six  o'clock  that  afternoon  a  part  of  madam's 
baggage  and  freight  was  found,  hauled  by  dog-team 
through  town  to  the  Sandspit  and  deposited  upon 
the  ground.  Then  we  bestirred  ourselves  to  get  a 
tent  up  in  which  we  could  sleep,  as  I,  for  one,  was 
determined  not  to  be  kept  awake  by  the  judge's 
snores  another  night  if  I  had  to  work  till  morning. 
The  others  shared  my  feelings,  and  we  worked  like 
beavers  till  midnight.  By  that  time  a  small  tent 
had  been  put  up,  boxes  of  bedding  unpacked,  as 
well  as  cooking  utensils,  oil  stoves  and  foods,  so 
that  we  could  begin  cooking. 

At  the  continuous  daylight  we  were  much 
pleased.  Coming  g^radually  into  it,  as  we  had  done 
on  the  steamer,  we  were  prepared  for  it,  but  the 
advantage  of  a  continuous  day  to  a  busy,  hustling 
camp  like  this  one,  had  not  presented  itseh'  to  us 
until  we  ourselves  attempted  to  work  half  the  night; 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  107 

then  we  realized  it  fully.  At  nine  in  the  evening  a 
beautiful  twilight  enveloped  all,  restful  to  nerves 
and  eyes,  but  still  light  enough  to  read  by. 

At  ten  o'clock  it  was  lighter,  and  upon  the  placid 
waters  of  Snake  River,  only  fifteen  feet  away,  lay 
quiet  shadows  cast  from  the  opposite  side,  clearly 
and  beautifully  reflected.  A  few  small  steamers  lay 
further  down  stream  near  the  river's  mouth,  row 
boats  were  tied  along  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  on 
the  Sandspit  below  us  was  a  camp  of  Eskimos,  their 
tiny  canoes  and  larger  skin  boats  being  hauled  upon 
shore  beside  them  for  safety.  At  midnight  the  sun 
was  almost  shining,  the  air  was  soft,  fresh  and  clear, 
while  the  sky  seemed  to  hang  low  and  lovingly 
above  our  heads. 

After  eating  a  midnight  lunch  of  our  own  getting 
of  bread  and  butter  with  hot  tea,  we  deposited  our- 
selves, still  dressed,  upon  the  tops  of  madam's  big 
packing  cases,  from  which,  had  been  taken  pillows 
and  blankets,  and  slept  soundly  till  morning,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  hammers  of  hundreds 
of  carpenters  were  busy  around  us  all  night. 

Next  morning  all  felt  fresh  and  invigorated.  The 
sun  shone  brightly.  In  the  roadstead  two  miles 
away  lay  several  newly  arrived  steamers,  their  deep- 
toned  whistles  frequently  sounding  over  the  inter- 
vening waters.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight  and  wel- 
come sound.  How  easily  the  long  and  graceful 
breakers  rolled  and  broke  upon  the  sands.  WitTi 
W'hat  music  the  foam-tipped  wavelets  spread  their 


io8  Nome 

edges,  like  the  lace-trimmed  ruffles  on  some  lady's 
gown,  upon  the  smooth  and  glistening  beach.  How 
the  white  tents  everywhere  looked  like  doves  of 
peace  just  alighted,  and  the  little  boats  danced  up 
and  down  on  the  river.  I  was  glad  to  be  there.'  I 
enjoyed  it.  Nothing,  not  even  the  hard  work,  the 
storms,  nor  the  bitter  Arctic  winter,  which  came 
afterwards,  ever  effaced  from  my  memory  the  beau- 
tiful pictures  of  river,  sea  and  sky  repeatedly  dis- 
played during  those  first  novel  and  busy  days  at 
Nome. 


CHAPTER.   X. 
TH£   FOUR  5ISTBR.S. 


T  was  during  the  first  excitement  of  the 
gold  discoveries  in  the  Klondyke  that 
four  sisters  left  their  home  in  Chicago 
and  started  for  Dawson.  They  were 
young,  hopeful,  ambitious  and  hand- 
some. They  owned  a  town  lot  in  the 
city,  but  they  had  not  the  means  with 
which  to  erect  a  building  upon  it,  and 
the  money  would  never  be  forthcom- 
ing if  they  remained  where  they  were. 
The  ordinary  salary  of  a  working  woman  in  ofifice 
or  store  was  not  sufficient  to  allow  them  more  than 
a  trifle  above  necessary  living  expenses,  and  they 
could  see  themselves  old,  wrinkled  and  gray  before 
they  could  hope  to  attain  their  desired  object 

Reaching  Dawson  safely,  as  they  did  after  weeks 
of  peril  and  many  novel  experiences,  they  set  to 
work  at  what  seemed  to  them  at  the  moment  the 
most  lucrative  labor  of  which  they  were  capable. 
They  were  fitted  for  laundry  work  only  by  being 
well  and  strong  physically,  and  by  having  a  willing- 
ness to  do  whatever  they  first  found  to  do. 

This  proved  to  be  work  at  the  wash-tub.  Here 
the  four  women  labored  month  after  month  with  a 
will,  with  the  result  that  at  the  end  of  a  year  their 


no  The  Four  Sisters 

bank  account  was  not  insignificant,  they  owned 
several  gold  claims,  and  in  all  the  mining  camp 
there  were  none  who  did  not  respect  the  four 
sisters. 

Then  came  their  first  dark  days.  It  was  mid- 
summer. Down  among  the  grass  roots  and  be- 
tween the  rocks  of  the  hillside  Back  of  the  famous 
camp,  there  trickled  numerous  fresh  water  springs, 
pure  and  cold  when  they  left  their  sequestered 
sources  among  the  seams  and  fissures,  but  gaining 
nothing  of  purity  when  spread  out  upon  the  little 
plain  now  thickly  dotted  with  cabins. 

Here  in  the  hurry  and  rush  of  the  fast  growing 
camp  when  fortunes  came  quickly,  and  men  lived 
at  a  rapid  pace,  there  was  little  time  for  sanitary 
precautions,  and  so  it  presently  happened  that  a 
shadow,  like  a  huge  black  bird  of  ill  omen,  sud- 
denly hovered  above  the  camp,  sending  a  shudder 
through  its  entire  length.  A  tiny  germ,  so  small  as 
to  pass  unnoticed  and  unheeded  by,  and  yet  withal 
so  deadly  as  to  be  called  a  plague,  crept  along, 
insinuating  itself  into  the  streamlets  making  their 
way  as  best  they  could  to  their  father,  the  Yukon; 
and  the  fever  laid  low  many  victims. 

Early  and  late  had  the  sisters  toiled,  never  in  a 
half-hearted  way,  but  untiringly,  day  after  day,  until 
one  of  their  number,  being  perhaps  less  strong,  or 
more  weary  from  work  to  which  she  had  been  unac- 
customed,  and   more   susceptible   to   disease,   was 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  in 

stricken  with  fever,  and  after  only  a  few  days'  ill- 
ness, wliispered  her  loving  good-bys. 

This  happened  in  the  summer  of  1899,  ^nd 
rumors  of  the  great  gold  strike  at  Nome  now 
reached  Dawson.  One  sister  had  been  persuaded 
by  a  member  of  the  Dawson  Bar  to  make  for  him 
a  happy  home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life  and 
she  was  married. 

Again  their  party  numbered  the  original  four, 
though  there  were  now  only  three  sisters. 

The  excitement  in  Dawson  regarding;  the  new 
Nome  gold  fields  daily  increased  and  it  was  stated 
by  reliable  steamer  men  from  St.  Michael  that  the 
new  strike  rivaled  that  of  the  Klondyke. 

The  little  party  of  four  decided  to  go  to  Nofhe. 
In  a  short  time  their  business  was  arranged,  sales 
made,  gold  claims  placed  in  charge  of  agents,  and 
everything  made  in  readiness  for  their  journey  to 
Nome. 

It  was  the  middle  of  September.  The  last  boats 
were  leaving  Dawson,  both  for  points  on  the  Upper 
Yukon  and  for  St.  Michael.  People  leaving  Daw- 
son by  boat  in  the  fall  seldom  linger  beyond  the 
third  or  fourth  week  in  September,  for  then  the 
river  may  freeze  at  any  time  and  they  be  prisoners 
in  the  camp  indefinitely. 

The  lower  river  steamer  "Hannah"  was  about 
to  push  from  the  dock  at  Dawson  when  a  friend  in- 
troduced me  to  the  three  sisters,  and  during  the 
following  days  on  board  an  acquaintance  sprung 


112  The  Four  Sisters 

up  which  I  much  enjoyed.  Little  did  we  know  that 
this  friendship  would  afterwards  be  renewed  nearly 
■two  thousand  miles  away,  and  under  circumstances 
vastly  different  from  any  with  which  we  had  before 
become  familiar. 

Landing  safely  from  the  "Hannah"  at  St, 
Michael,  a  few  days  were  spent  by  the  sisters  wait- 
ing for  stormy  weather  to  subside,  and  they  then 
sailed  for  Nome.  Here  they  landed  during  the  last 
days  of  September,  amid  falling  snow,  bleak  winds 
and  boiling  surf,  upon  the  sands  of  the  most  inhos- 
pitable beach  in  all  that  dreary  Northland.  No  tree 
was  to  be  seen.  Not  a  rock  under  whose  friendly 
shelter  one  might  hide  from  the  storms.  There 
was  almost  no  lumber  in  the  camp  with  which  to 
build  houses,  and  no  incoming  steamers  expected. 
A  few  rude  shacks,  tents  and  saloons  with  two  or 
three  companies'  buildings — of  these  was  the  town 
composed.  Many  were  rushing  for  the  steamers  in 
waiting,  determined  only  upon  one  thing — to  get 
home  to  the  States.  Some  carried  heavy  sack's  of 
gold,  others  went  empty-handed.  There  was  the 
•summer's  accumulation  of  filth  in  the  camp,  too 
young  as  yet  for  cleanly  conditions,  and  these 
brought  their  sure  accompaniment  —  the  fever. 
Many  suffered  for  weeks  with  it,  and  then  died. 

Again  came  the  dread  plague  to  the  sisters. 
Scarcely  had  they  unpacked  their  trunks  or  found 
shelter  for  the  winter   when  the  younger  of  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  113 

sisters  was  stricken  down.  For  days  she  raved  in 
delirium,  and  all  feared  she  would  die.  Night  and 
day  they  watched  anxiously  by  her  bedside.  Every- 
thing was  done  for  her  recovery  and  comfort  that 
could  be  done  in  a  new  and  rough  camp  like  the 
one  at  Nome;  for  all  who  knew  the  beautiful  little 
sister  loved  her  well. 

Then  came  the  time  when  all  the  long  and  heavy 
yellow  hair  had  to  be  cut  from  the  lovely  head  in 
obedience  to  the  doctor's  orders.  But  the  little 
sister  lived.  Their  prayers  were  answered,  the 
worst  was  over,  the  danger  past. 

Then  followed  long  and  weary  weeks  of  con- 
valescing, while  the  winter  storm.s  raged  outside 
the  little  cabin,  and  the  sun  retreated  farther  from 
the  Arctic  Circle  and  Nome,  but  the  sisters  thanked" 
God,  and  again  took  courage. 

Months  after  came  the  welcome  spring-time. 
With  the  earliest  fine  weather  and  revival  of  busi- 
ness in  the  camp  the  sisters  erected  a  store  building 
and  warehouse  on  the  beach  near  by.  Into  the 
latter  they  moved  temporarily,  hoping  to  rent  the 
)store  to  some  of  the  numerous  "tenderfeet"  sure 
to  arrive  on  the  first  passenger  steamers. 

It  was  here  I  found  the  sisters  on  my  arrival  at 
Nome  from  San  Francisco  in  June,  1900.  Little 
sister  was  well  and  strong  again,  growing  a  fresh 
crop  of  roses  and  lilies  on  her  cheeks,  and  a  new 
head  covering  of  lovely,  wavy  yellow  hair.  On  her 
lips  she  wore  the  same  sweet,  old  smiles,  however, 


114  The  Four  Sisters 

and  I  knew  her  well  by  these.  Since  her  recovery 
from  the  fever  the  hands  of  the  sisters  had  not  been 
idle,  and  they  had  become  expert  at  sewing  furs. 
This  had  kept  them  busy  as  bees  all  winter,  and 
many  were  the  caps,  coats,  mittens  and  capes  maae 
by  their  industrious  fingers,  which  brought  them 
a  good  income,  while  their  rooms  were  always  the 
rendezvous  of  friends  than  which  a  jollier  lot  could 
not  be  discovered. 

Of  the  good  influence  going  out  through  the 
rough  mining  ramp  during  the  long  and  dreary 
winter  from  the  home  of  these  sweet  and  Christian 
women,  no  account  has  probably  ever  been  kept, 
except  by  the  recording  angel,  who  never  forgets. 

The  day  after  we  landed  at  Nome  I  secured  work. 
Not,  however,  to  begin  immediately,  which  pleased 
me  well,  as  I  .should  then  have  a  little  time  to  look 
for  father,  inspect  the  camp,  study  conditions  and 
take  notes  and  kodak  views, 

"Can  vou  cook  for  a  gang  of  men?"  asked  Mr. 
A.,  kindly  smiling  down  at  me  when  I  had  stopped 
him  on  the  street  and  asked  for  work  in  his  car-'-" 
for  the  English  girl  and  myself,  as  we  wished  to  be 
together. 

"Indeed  I  can.  I  will  do  my  very  b:"st.  Mr.  A., 
and  I  feel  sure  wc  can  please  you.  My  friend  is  an 
extra  good  cook,  as  you  will  discover  if  you  give 
us  work.    Will  you  try  us?" 

"I  will,"  he  replied. 

"At  what  wages,  please?" 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  115 

"Five  dollars  per  day,  each,  with  board," 
promptly  answered  the  gentleman,  whose  two  gold 
claims  on  famous  Anvil  Creek  made  him  one  of 
the  richest  men  in  Alaska. 

So  it  was  settled.  Claim  number  nine,  Anvil, 
was  about  seven  miles  from  Nome,  and  one  of  the 
most  noted  claims  in  the  district.  Mr.  A.,  a  former 
Swedish  missionary  at  Golovin  Bay,  had,  with  his 
doctor  brother,  voyaged  to  Nome  on  the  ".St. 
Paul"  when  we  did,  so  we  already  had  a  slight 
acquaintance  with  both  gentlemen  and  were  pleased 
to  get  the  work. 

Anvil  Creek  claims  had  been  worked  the  sum- 
mer before.  Gold  had  first  been  discovered  in  the 
fall  of  1898  by  Mr.  Hultberg,  a  Swedish  mission- 
ary, who  learned  of  the  precious  metal  around 
Nome  from  the  Eskimos.  His  mission  was  sta- 
tioned at  Golovin  Bay,  and  he  notified  the  Swedes, 
Brynteson,  Hagalin,  Lindbloom  and  Linderberg, 
who  in  turn  saw  G.  W.  Price  and  induced  him  to 
go  with  them,  as  he  was  the  only  one  there  experi- 
enced in  mining.  Price  was  on  his  way  to  Kodiak 
over  the  ice  by  dog-team,  en  route  to  California,  as 
the  representative  of  C.  D.  Lane,  the  San  Francisco 
mining  man  and  millionaire. 

The  most  of  Anvil  Creek  was  staked  by  this 
party  before  they  returned  to  the  mines  at  Council 
City,  fifty  miles  up  Fish  River  from  Golovin  Bay. 

"On  July  second,  1899,  a  second  clean-up  was 
made  on  number  one  above  Discovery  Claim,  Anvil 


ii6  The  Four  Sisters 

Creek,  the  property  of  J.  Linderberg.  The  result 
of  four  men  shovelling  out  of  the  creek  bed  from  a 
cut  five  feet  to  bedrock  for  twenty  hours  amounted 
to  fourteen  thousand  dollars  in  gold  dust.  The 
men  shovelled  all  the  gravel  from  the  moss  down 
to  bed-rock  into  the  sluice  box  as  it  was  all  pay 
gravel.  The  owner  refused  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars  for  the  property  without  considering  the 
ofTer." 

Tierney  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  this 
claim  produced  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  that 
season. 

From  this  time  the  discoverers  were  known  by 
the  sobriquet  of  the  "Lucky  Swedes,"  for  Anvil 
Creek  was  all  good,  there  being  no  really  "poor 
dirt"  in  it,  and  number  nine,  above  Discovery 
Claim,  proved  irself,  the  first  summer,  also  a  banner 
winner. 

It  was  here  that  we  expected  to  work,  as  soon 
as  supplies  could  be  hauled  to  the  claim,  the 
'monotony  of  bread  making  and  dish  washing  to 
be  varied  by  the  new  and  strange  sights  on  an 
enormously  rich  gold  claim  not  far  from  the  Arctic 
Circle. 

Everywhere  around  us  were  carpenters'  ham- 
mers in  operation,  and  tents  were  rapidly  going  up. 
We  found  great  difificulty  in  reserving  ground 
space  enough  for  another  tent,  as  others  found  the 
Sandspit  as  desirable  for  tenting  as  we  did,  and 
elbowed  us  closely.     Along  the  river's  edge  and 


0\ 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  117 

the  beach  near  by  many  were  digging  and  paniniig- 
in  the  sands  searching  tor  "colors."  Dog-teams 
were  hauUng  freight  and  baggage,  with  their  swear- 
ing and  perspiring  drivers  at  their  heels,  and  while 
the  big  black-snake  whips  flourished  in  air  above 
the  dogs  or  upon  their  straining  backs,  the  tongues 
of  the  faithful  brutes  hung  from  their  mouths,  and 
their  wide  open  eyes  looked  appealingly  at  by- 
standers. My  heart  ached  for  the  animals,  but  there 
were  no  humane  societies  in  Alaska. 

About  five  o'clock  on  Sunday  afternoon  it  began 
to  snow.  This  was  the  first  June  snowstorm  I 
bad  ever  seen.  Our  little  tent  leaked  badly,  as  it 
had  been  hastily  pitched,  and  the  snow  melted  as  it 
fell.  Small  rivers  of  water  were  soon  dropping 
upon  our  heads.  Rain  coats,  oilcloth,  and  opened 
umbrellas  were  utilized  to  protect  the  clothing  and 
the  bedding. 

^n  hour  of  this  experience  would  have  been 
enough  for  one  time,  but  troubles  seldom  comr 
singly,  and  so  the  wind  began  to  blow.  Donning 
her  rain  coat  and  rubbers  the  English  girl  did  her 
best  to  tighten  ropes  and  make  the  tent  taut,  for 
madam's  son  had  not  returned  from  town.  Pres- 
ently, to  our  great  joy,  we  saw  him  comin?  with 
a  loaded  dog-team  of  freight,  and  best  of  all,  v/'th 
a  man  friend  to  assist  him,  whose  strong  arms  and 
broad  .shoulders  were  well  fitted  to  tent  pitching. 
Hastily  the  cart  was  unloaded  and  the  large  canvas 
tent  unrolled  and  laid  upon  the  sand.    Stakes  w  re 


ii8  The  Four  Sisteis 

driven,  poles  adjusted,  ropes  stretched  with  much 
straining,  as  the  wind  whistled  more  vigorously, 
and  snow  still  fell;  and  the  two  men,  both  wet  and 
cold,  huddled  into  the  little  tent  for  a  cup  of  hot  tea, 
which  was  waiting. 

Then  strong  hands  opened  more  boxes  and  a 
large  oil  stove,  carpets,  rugs  and  many  other  neces- 
sary things  were  hustled  into  the  new  tent  as  well 
as  trunks,  bedding,  and  the  contents  of  the  small 
tent,  with  the  exception  of  canned  goods  and  such 
things  as  water  would  not  injure.  The  sands  were 
clean  but  wet,  and  if  we  were  thankful  for  a  stout 
canvas  cover  over  our  heads  we  would  have  also 
been  glad  of  a  dry  place  under  foot.  However, 
carpets  and  rugs  were  spread  down,  stoves  lighted, 
and  the  tent  door  flap  fastened  as  securely  as  pos- 
sible 

As  well  as  we  could  we  arranged  all  for  the 
night,  but  we  expected  to  sleep  little,  for  the  storm 
was  now  fearful.  Rain,  snow  and  hail  each  came 
down  by  turns  accompanied  by  a  hi^^h  wind  which 
drove  the  surf  in  roaring  rage  upon  the  beach.  How 
thankful  we  were  that  we  had  chosen  this  spot  in- 
stead of  one  directly  in  reach  of  tlie  great  rollers, 
with  their  mist  and  spray;  though  we  had  the  roar 
and  boom  of  the  surf  in  our  ears  continually.  Some- 
times it  seemed  that  the  wind  had  lulled,  and  then 
with  increased  violence  it  again  screamed  above 
our  heads,  threatening  us  each  moment  with  dis- 
aster. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  119 

At  midnight  a  supper  of  hot  macaroni,  cocoa, 
bread,  butter  and  cheese,  with  canned  meat  and 
jam,  was  heartily  eaten  by  all,  including  the  visiting 
friend  from  Sitka  who  had  assisted.  A  low  box 
was  used  for  a  table  and  we  all  sat  upon  the  mats, 
eating  from  tin  cups  and  plates  with  the  keenest 
appetites. 

The  weather  was  now  awful.  The  storm  had  in- 
creased until  it  seemed  each  moment  that  the  tent 
would  be  torn  from  its  fastenings,  and  we  be  left 
without  any  protection  whatever.  The  ropes  and 
stakes  had  frequently  to  be  looked  after  and  made 
stronger.  The  snow  had  turned  to  rain,  which  beat 
heavily  upon  the  stout  canvas  resisting  well  the 
water  without  leaking. 

By  one  o'clock  the  wind  showed  signs  of  abating, 
and  we  were  so  much  in  need  of  sleep  that,  all 
dressed  as  we  were,  we  rolled  ourselves  in  our  blan- 
kets and  do;^ed  on  the  rugs  close  to  the  oil  stoves 
For  an  hour  I  lay  uneasily  dreaming,  or  listening 
to  the  royal  cannonading  of  the  heavy  surf  upon 
the  beach.  From  my  diary  I  quote  the  following 
extract: 

"Monday,  four  in  the  morning,  June  eighteenth, 
1900. — Tt  is  four  in  the  morning  and  we  are  sitting 
around  the  oil  stoves  in  the  middle  of  the  tent. 
We  have  just  had  hot  cocoa  and  crackers.  The 
surf  still  booms,  but  it  does  not  rain,  and  the  wind 
has  died  down.  We  are  better  of¥  than  many  peo- 
ple.   Tomorrow  we  will  put  up  the  other  tent  and 


The  Four  Sisters. 


get  more  settled.  We  are  thankful  not  to  be  on 
the  sea  beach,  where  so  many  are  camped.  A 
wishes  herself  home  again.  People  around  our 
tent  all  night  were  talking,  moving,  afraid  of  the 
storm,  but  the  big  ships  are  still  here  and  they 
would  put  out  to  sea  if  it  were  necessary  for  their 
safety.  They  say  we  have  smallpox  in  town  from 
the  steamer  'Ohio,'  and  yesterday  Mrs.  H.,  who 
came  up  on  the  'St.  Paul,'  was  reported  to  be 
dying  from  pneumonia.  The  nurse,  A-Irs.  Judge 
R.'s  friend,  is  caring  for  her.  Judge  R.  and  wife 
are  still  in  Mrs.  JM.'s  shack  near^the  barracks.  It  has 
been  daylight  all  night.  I  hope  to  hear  from  father 
soon  and  get  my  freight.  My  friends  here  have  all 
theirs.  The  two  men  are  smoking  and  talkmg 
while  I  write  and  the  Eskimo  dogs  not  far  away 
are  howling  in  their  usual  interesting  nightly  man- 
ner.   I  will  now  try  to  get  a  little  more  sleep," 

We  had  heard  much  of  beach  mining  at  Nome, 
but  saw  little  of  it.  Stories  were  told  of  men  who, 
in  the  summer  of  1899,  had  taken  hundreds  of  dol- 
lars in  gold  dust  from  the  beach  sands  by  the 
crudest  methods,  and  thousands  of  men  were  now 
flocking  into  the  camp  for  the  purpose  of  doing 
beach  mining.  They  were  sadly  disappointed.  Not, 
however,  because  there  was  no  gold  in  the  beach 
sands,  but  because  it  was  so  infinitesimally  tiny  that 
they  had  no  means  of  securinef  it  No  hand  rocker, 
copper  plate,  nor  nmalgnm  had  been  used  with 
success,  neither  did  any  of  the  myriads  of  prospec- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  121 


tive  miners  bring  anything  with  them  which  prom- 
ised better  results.  Great  heaps  of  machinery 
called  by  hopeful  promoters  "gold  dredgers"  were 
being  daily  dumped  upon  the  beach  from  the  ships, 
signboards  were  covered  with  pictures  of  things 
similar,  while  the  papers  continually  bloomed  with 
advertisements  of  machines,  which,  if  speedily  se- 
cured by  the  miners,  would,  according  to  the  imag- 
inative advertiser,  soon  cause  all  to  literally  roll  in 
riches. 

One  flaming  dodger  ran  in  large  letters  thus: 
"Calling  millions  from  the  vasty  deep.  A  fortune 
in  one  hundred  days.  Our  dredger  will  work  three 
thousand  yards  of  sand  in  heavy  surf  at  Cape 
Nome.  It  will  take  out  twenty-four  thousand  dol- 
lars in  a  day.  You  can  make  more  money  with  us 
than  by  taking  flyers  in  wildcat  oil  schemes,  etc." 
The  poster  was  illustrated  by  a  huge  machine 
gotten  up  on  the  centiped  plan;  at  least,  it  resem- 
bled that  hated  insect  from  having  attached  to  its 
frame  two  sets  of  wheels  of  different  sizes  along 
the  sides  like  the  legs  of  a  centiped,  but  with  a 
steam  boiler  for  a  head,  and  a  big  pipe  for  a  throat, 
from  which  the  salt  water  was  disgorged  to  wash 
out  this  immense  amount  of  sand  and  give  the  gold 
to  the  miner.     It  did  not  save  the  gold. 

Thousands  of  dollars  of  good,  hard-earned 
monev  were  dumped  upon  the  beach  in  the  shai^f^ 
of  heavy  machines  of  different  kinds,  which  were 
worse  than  useless,  and  only  brought  bitter  disaf- 


The  Four  Sisters 


pointment  to  their  owners.  Men  had  stripped  the 
beach  the  summer  before  of  all  coarse  gold  which 
had,  perhaps,  been  ages  in  washing  up  from  the 
ocean's  bed,  or  down  the  creeks  from  the  hills,  and 
only  the  fine,  or  "flour  gold,"  as  it  was  called  re- 
mained. 

By  the  newcomers  men  were  cursed  for  spread- 
ing abroad  tales  of  beach  mining  of  the  year  before, 
but  this  was  unjust,  for  conditions  were  not  the 
same.  The  waters  bringing  the  gold  to  the  beach 
could  not,  in  one  season,  replenish  and  leave  the 
sands  as  rich  as  they  had  been  after  long  years, 
perhaps  ages  of  action,  and  blame  could  not  rightly 
be  attached  to  any  one.  Almost  without  exception, 
the  men  who  did  the  cursing  were  the  men  who  had 
never  been  hard  workers,  and  did  not  intend  to  be, 
and  so,  after  becoming  satisfied  that  the  nuggets 
w^ere  not  there  to  be  simply  picked  up  and  pocketed, 
they  turned,  looked  backward,  and  went  home.  It 
was  well  for  the  new  camp  that  they  did 

There  \vas  also  much  trouble  over  real  estate. 
Land  was  very  high  in  price.  Some  Swedes,  who, 
the  vear  before,  had  paid  seven  hundred  dollars 
for  a  town  lot  three  hundred  by  fifty  feet  in  size, 
now  sold  one-half  of  it  for  ten  thousand  dollars. 
It  is  small  wonder,  then,  where  "possession  is  nine 
points  of  the  law,"  that  men  who  rightfully  claimed 
ground  were  ready  to  fi^ht  to  keep  it,  and  those 
who  were  wrongfully  in  possession  many  times 
stood  guard  with  firearms. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  123 

In  pitching  our  tents  upon  the  sandy  beach, 
especially  after  gaining  permission  of  the  old  cap- 
tain, who  told  us  we  would  be  in  the  street  if  ever 
a  street  should  be  opened  through  on  the  Sandspit, 
but  that  was  not  likely,  and  he  had  given  us  his  full 
and  free  consent  to  our  camping  temporarily  there 
next  his  lots,  we  expected  to  have  no  trouble.  Here 
we  miscalculated.  Though  the  captain  was  kind 
and  reasonable,  he  had  a  partner  who  was  just  the 
reverse,  and  this  person  gave  us  infinite  trouble. 

Scarcely  had  our  first  load  of  baggage  been  put 
upon  the  ground  when  he  began  to  tramp  fussily 
about  at  all  times  of  day  and  night.  After  our 
stakes  were  driven  he  would  c'ome  quietly  in  the 
night  and  pull  them  up,  so  we  would  find  our  canvas 
flapping  in  the  morning  breeze  when  we  waked. 
Or,  after  we  had  retired  for  the  night,  he  would 
rome  with  some  other,  stand  within  hearing  dis- 
tance, and  threaten  us  if  we  did  not  move  away. 

One  morning,  upon  rising,  we  found  that  he  had 
moved  a  long  carpenter's  bench  directly  upon  the 
spDt  next  madam's  tent,  which  I  was  trying  to  re- 
serve for  my  own  tent  as  soon  as  I  succeeded  in 
getting  my  things  from  the  steamer.  This  disap- 
pointed me  much,  but  I  said  nothing;  and  when 
my  tent  finally  came  I  pitched  it  on  the  other  side, 
with  my  door  directlv  opposite  'hers  and  only  six 
feet  from  her  entrance. 

As  to  appearance  this  old  man  was  a  jollv  sight. 
Ife  wore  long  and  tangled  hair,  which  had  once 


J24  The  Four  Sisters 

been  curly,  but  now  hung  in  unkempt  and  dirty 
shreds  upon  his  shoulders,  while  his  hat  was  an 
antiquated  relic  of  a  former  life  in  the  States.  A 
pair  of  old  trousers  generally  hung  by  one  suspen- 
der over  a  colored  shirt,  which,  the  summer  betore, 
possibly,  had  had  a  wash-tub  experience,  but  not 
later;  his  footwear  was  altogether  unmentionable. 
He  was  called  well-to-do,  and  there  was  no  neces- 
sity for  him  to  cut  such  an  abominable  figure,  so  he 
soon  became  a  by-word,  and  was  designated  as 
"sour  dough."  At  all  events,  he  was  sour  enough, 
and  kept  up  a  continual  siege  of  torment  until  he 
received  a  temporary  quietus. 

We  three  women  were  sitting  in  the  tent  one 
morning  when  there  came  a  voice  at  the  door.  Go- 
ing forward  to  inquire  what  was  wanted,  a  man 
said  gruffly,  thrus'ting  a  piece  of  paper  into  my 
hand. 

"A  notice  from  the  chief  of  police." 

"Forw-hat?"  I  inquired. 

"For  you,  to  vacate  these  premises  without 
delay." 

"Indeed!  Are  they  to  open  a  street?  Will  the 
other  campers  about  here  move  also?"  I  asked. 

"I  don't  know.  My  orders  are  that  you  shall 
move  immediately.  See  that  you  do  it,"  said  the 
man  rudely. 

While  holding  the  paper  in  my  hands  I  glanced 
over  it  hastily,  and  saw  the  marks  of  a  spurious 
document.      It  was  poorly  constructed,  and  bore 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  125 

no  official  signs.     I  recognized  it  as  a  counterfeit. 

"We  have  had  permission  from  Captain  S.,  one 
of  the  aldermen,  to  put  our  tents  here,  and  we  shall 
stay  unless  he  orders  us  away,"  said  I  stoutly. 

*^You  have  permission  from  Captain  S.?"  he 
asked  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  sir,  from  Captain  S.  himself,  and  you  can 
say  to  the  chief  of  police  that  we  shall  stay  here 
until  the  captain  orders  us  to  leave,"  saying'  which 
I  stepped  back  into  the  tent. 

The  man  retreated,  muttering  to  himself  as  he 
went,  for  he  was  utterly  routed,  and  never  returned; 
neither  did  we  hear  any  more  for  some  time  about 
moving  our  tents.  It  was  as  I  suspected.  Mr. 
vSourdough  had  thought  to  frighten  us  away,  and 
the  order  from  the  chief  of  police  was  utterly 
bogus . 

Some  time  afterward,  when  madam  attempted  to 
put  a  floor  into  her  tent,  '"Sourdough"  again  put 
in  an  appearance.  He  threatened,  but  she  held 
out,  when  the  obstinate  and  perverse  old  man 
trotted  ofif  down  town  and  secured  an  officer  and 
four  soldiers  to  come  and  put  her  ofif.  The  officer 
looked  the  ground  over,  inquired  if  there  was  room 
for  teams  to  pass  if  necessary,  and  seeing  her  tent 
in  line  with  many  others,  he  turned  to  the  old 
man  and  said: 

"This  tent  takes  up  no  more  of  the  .street  than 
the  others.  This  ladv  has  as  much  right  to  be  here 
as  any  one  else.     What  is  the  matter  with  you? 


126  The  Four  Sisters 

Let  the  women  alone,"  and  he  and  his  soldiers 
marched  away. 

Mr.  Sourdough  tore  his  hair.  He  was  wild  with 
anger.  The  floor  of  madam's  tent  went  down  and 
stayed. 

Each  day  I  was  in  the  habit  of  giving  my  Swed- 
ish friends  a  call,  and  found  them  finally  ready  to 
set  up  their  restaurant  tent.  A  large  floor  was  laid 
on  Second  street,  near  the  post-office,  the  large 
canvas  stretched  over  tJie  frame,  tables  and  seats 
provided,  a  corner  partitioned  ofif  for  a  kitchen, 
dishes  placed  upon  shelves,  and  they  began  serving 
meals.  At  this  juncture  I  happened  in  one  day  just 
before  noon  and  found  them  rushed  with  work 
and  unable  to  fill  their  meal  orders  for  lack  of  help. 
Mary  was  peeling  potatoes  in  haste,  while  trying  to 
do  other  things  at  the  same  time,  and  Ricka  and 
Alma  were  flying  like  bees. 

"Let  me  peel  those  potatoes  for  you,"  said  I, 
taking  the  knife  from  Mary's  hand;  and  when  she 
demurred,  I  told  her  I  really  had  nothing  to  do, 
and  would  be  glad  to  assist. 

"When  the  potatoes  were  peeled,  dishes  were 
heaped  up  to  be  cleaned,  and  I  quickly  washed 
them,  feeling  that  T  was  of  some  service,  and  not 
heeding  the  surprised  looks  of  a  few  acquaintances 
who  chanced  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  me  at  work  in 
the  kitchen  through  the  door. 

This  T  did  each  dav,  coming  over  after  T  had 
eaten  my  breakfast,  and  rolling 'up  my  sleeves  to 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  127 

my  elbows,  drove  them  deep  into  the  dish  pan  and 
hot  water. 

Many  were  the  jolly  times  we  now  had.  How 
the  jokes  flew  past  each  other  over  the  puddings, 
and  the  crisp  pies  needed  almost  no  other  season- 
ing. How  cheerfully  "the  boys"  brought  wood 
and  water,  and  counted  it  reward  enough  if  they 
only  received  a  smile  from  little  Alma.  Many  a 
man  was  glad  enough,  too,  to  render  such  service 
for  a  meal  or  lunch  of  hot  cofifee  and  doughnuts, 
especiafly  such  good,  big,  motherly  ones  a-^  Mary 
made,  and  there  was  no  lack  of  men  helpers.  How 
the  cofTee  steamed,  the  hot  bread  and  meats 
smoked,  and  the  soup  odors  tantalized  the  olfac- 
tories of  hundreds  of  "tenderfeet"  with  their  lusty 
Alaska  appetites,  which  were  increased  by  an  open 
air  life  such  as  all  in  those  days  were  living. 

When  at  last  we  were  summoned  to  our  work, 
on  Number  Nine,  the  Swedish  women  pressed 
my  hand  cordially,  leaving  a  good-sized  bill  in  it 
at  the  same  time,  saying:  "When  you  get  through 
on  Number  Nine  come  back  to  us;  we  need  you." 
I  thanked  them  gratefully  and  said  good-bye. 

The  English  girl  and  myself  were  soon  settled  in 
our  little  tent,  with  its  clean  new  floor,  on  the  hill- 
side of  claim  Number  Nine.  No  tree  was  to  be  seen 
on  the  long,  rolling  hills,  and  only  an  occasional 
boulder  on  some  summit  like  Anvil  Peak,  perched 
as  a  sentinel  above  us.  A  few  wild  flowers  bloomed 
on  the  tundra,  and  tbe  waters  of  the  little  stream 


128  The  Four  Sisters 

giirgled  over  the  soft  slate  pebbles  that  strewed  its 
course;  but  the  season  so  far  was  a  dry  one,  and 
more  water  was  needed  before  much  could  be  done 
at  sluicing.  Miners  were  not  happy  at  the  prospect 
of  a  dry  season,  which  meant  a  stoppage  of  all  min- 
ing operations,  and  eagerly  scanned  the  heavens 
for  rain  indications.  A  small  force  of  men  were  at 
work  night  and  day.  On  Thursday,  July  twelfth, 
eleven  hundred  dollars  in  gold  dust  was  taken  from 
the  sluice  boxes  in  the  creek,  and  two  days  after- 
wards twelve  thousand  dollars,  with  which  the 
owner  of  the  claim  was  much  dissatisfied,  calling 
them  small  clean-ups. 

A  few  hundred  feet  up  stream,  on  Number  Ten, 
the  machinery  of  C.  D.  Lane  whirred  constantly. 
On  the  upper  end  of  Number  Nine  a  small  new  ma- 
chine called  a  separator  was  put  in  by  some  men 
from  New  York,  who  had  taken  a  lay  on  the  claim; 
but  this  scheme  was  not  successful. 

Seeing  men  at  work  prospecting  along  the 
"benches,"  as  the  banks  of  a  stream  or  hillsides  are 
called  by  miners,  and  having  a  woman's  proverbial 
curiosity,  after  my  work  was  done  I  climbed  the 
hill  to  investigate.  The  prospectors  had  left  after 
digging  a  hole  about  six  feet  deep  and  four  square, 
evidently  having  satisfierl  themselves  as  to  what 
the  ground  contained.  Into  this  hole  I  dcsccnd'rl 
to  feel  of  the  cold,  wet  earth  and  inspect  the  walls. 

The  miners  had  reached  the  frost  line  and  gone, 
taking  with  them  samples  of  pretty  white  quartz 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  129 

rock,  as  much  of  the  debris  at  the  bottom  ot  the 
hole  plainly  showed,  but  whether  it  contained  gold 
I  knew  not.  As  yet  I  was  a  tenderfoot;  but  some- 
thing satisfactory  was  without  doubt  found  here 
and  in  the  vicinity,  as  quartz  claims  were  staked 
over  the  placer  claims  the  whole  length  of  Anvil 
Creek  that  summer. 

While  rambling  about  in  search  of  flowers  dur- 
ing our  afternoon  rests,  we  found  many  interesting 
spots.  To  the  northwest,  over  the  high,  bare 
ridge,  lay  Snow  Gulch,  from  which  fabulous  sums 
had  the  summer  before  been  taken,  the  blue  and 
winding  waters  of  famous  Glacier  Creek  lying  just 
beyond.  Walking  through  the  dry,  deep  tundra 
over  the  hills  was  warm,  hard  work,  though  we 
wore  short  skirts  and  high,  stout  boots,  and  woman- 
like, we  were  always  filled  to  the  brim  with  ques- 
tions and  ready  to  rest  if  we  chanced  to  meet  any 
one,  which  was  not  often. 

Wherever  we  went,  and  whatever  the  hour,  we 
met  with  no  incivility.  Hats  were  lifted,  and  men 
rested  a  moment  upon  their  shovels  to  look  after 
us  as  we  passed,  while  frequently  some  rough  miner 
swallowed  the  lump  in  his  throat  or  wiped  a  tear,  as 
he  thought  of  his  wife,  daughter  or  sweetheart  far 
away.  We  were  the  only  women  in  the  mines  for 
miles  around,  but  felt  no  fear  whatever,  and  indeed 
we  were  as  safe  there  as  at  home,  and  there  wa«;  no 
occasion  for  anxietv. 

I-ife  was  extremely  interesting.     Our  work  was 


130  The  Four  Sisters 

not  hard  the  first  few  weeks;  after  that  the  force  of 
men  was  increased.  Rich  pans  of  dirt  (two  shovels 
full  to  a  pan)  were  daily  being  brought  to  light. 
One  pan  contained  seventy-two  dollars  and  sev- 
enty-five cents,  one  eighty-three  dollars  and  thirty- 
five  cents.  Big,  fat  nuggets  already  melted  into 
wondrous  shapes,  but  iron  rusted,  as  all  Anvil 
Treek  gold  is,  for  some  reason,  was  discovered 
each  day.  One  nugget  tipped  the  scales  at  thirty- 
nine  dollars,  one  at  twenty  dollars,  and  one  at  fifty 
dollars,  with  many  others  of  like  value. 

Wednesday,  August  eighth,  the  following  entry 
was  made  in  m.y  diary:  "Today  has  been  the  banner 
day  for  gold  dust.  The  night's  clean-up  of  twelve 
hours'  work  was  a  big  one — three  pans  full  of  eold. 
Later — Still  more  yet.  A  clean-up  of  nine  thousand 
dollars  and  three  of  the  largest  nuggets  I  ever  saw 
has  just  been  made  this  evening.  Two  of  the  nug- 
gets were  long  and  flat,  as  large  as  a  tree-toad,  and 
much  the  shape  of  one.  The  men  took  the  first  I'^'ad 
of  gold  dust  to  town — seventy-five  pounds — but  the 
bank  was  closed  before  they  could  get  the  remainder 
there.  The  foreman  says  they  are  prepared  to  keep 
it  here  safely  over  night,  however,  and  T  believe 
they  are,  judging  by  the  big  protuberances  on  theV 
(hip  pockets." 


CHAPTER    XI. 


I^IFX:   IN   A  MINING   CAMP. 

S  the  rains  came  to  facilitate  the  sluicing, 
/SL  more    men    were    added    to    the    force 

shovelling  in  the  creeks,  and  this  made 
our  work  heavier.  An  exceedingly- 
cranky  foreigner,  as  head  cook,  pre- 
sided over  the  big  coal  range  in  the 
mess-house,  and  we  women  ''played 
second  fiddle,"  so  to  speak.  However, 
we  all  had  enough  hard  work,  as  a 
midnight  supper  for  the  second  force 
had  to  be  prepared  and  regularly  served,  and  at  this 
we  labored  alternately. 

Strange  to  relate,  the  men  at  the  long  tables  soon 
began  to  exhibit  a  very  great  partiality  for  the  dishes 
prepared  by  the  English  girl  and  myself,  to  the  end 
that  the  foreign  fellow's  black  eyes  snapped  with 
anger,  and  he  swore  deeply  under  his  breath. 

"He  vill  eat  vat  I  gif  heem.  He  moos  eat  it 
ven  he  hoongry,  else  he  starve  himsel'.  I  care  not 
he  no  like  it,  he  get  nothing  other!"  the  angry  man 
would  exclaim,  as  the  untouched  plates  of  th^  men 
were  scraped  into  the  waste  box.  He  would  then, 
fearing  that  we  would  cook  some  dish  more  palat- 
able to  the  miners,  hide  the  best  food,  or  forbid  us 
to  use  certain  ingredients  as  we  wished, 


132  Life  in  a  ilining  Camp 

Of  the  culinary  stores  provided  there  never  could 
be  a  complaint.  Everything  that  money  could  buy 
in  the  way  of  fresh  meat,  potatoes,  onions,  canned 
and  dried  fruits  and  vegetables,  flour,  corn  and  oat- 
meals, were  stacked  up  in  the  greatest  profusion. 
From  canned  oysters,  clams  and  French  sardines, 
to  fine  cocoa  and  cream,  all  was  here  found  in 
quantities,  after  being  hauled  in  a  wagon  behind 
powerful  horses  over  the  seven  miles  of  heavy 
roads  from  Nome.  By  the  time  the  goods  reached 
camp  they  were  almost  worth  their  weight  in  gold, 
but  one  might  have  supposed  them  dirt  cheap,  for 
we,  as  hungry  miners  and  cooks,  were  never  lim- 
ited. 

Week  after  week  the  patient  animals  and  their 
driver  were  kept  measuring  the  distance  between 
the  city  and  the  claim,  even  though  the  wet  tundra 
in  low  places  grew  sodden  and  boggy,  and  the 
wheels  repeatedly  sank  to  the  hubs.  At  times  more 
horses  were  attached  to  haul  them  out  of  some 
hole,  or  if  these  were  not  at  hand,  certain  heavy 
cases  were  dumped  ofi  until  the  reeking,  straining 
brutes  had  successfully  extricated  the  load.  Cov- 
ered with  mud  and  sweat,  his  high-topped  rubber 
boots  each  weighing  a  number  of  pounds,  and  his 
stomach  too  empty  to  allow  of  conversation,  after 
a  long,  hard  day's  work,  the  driver  of  this  team 
would  fling  himself  upon  one  of  the  benches  along- 
side our  table  and  sav: 


I 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  133 

"Yes,  I'm  ready  to  eat  anything.  Been  caved  in 
for  two  hours." 

This  young  man,  as  well  as  the  night  foreman, 
was  a  cousin  of  Mr.  A.,  both  farmer  boys,  honest 
kind  and  true.  No  oaths  fell  from  their  lips,  and 
no  language  was  used  which  their  own  mothers 
would  ever  blush  to  hear. 

The  second  of  these,  the  foreman,  was  dressed 
also  in  great  rubber  boots,  dark  blue  sweater,  and 
broad-brimmed  felt  hat,  with  a  quick  eye  and  ear 
for  all  around  him,  though  he  was  a  man  of  few 
words,  which  he  weighed  well  before  using.  His 
hip  pocket  alwa3's  contained  a  loaded  revolver,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  sleep  days  after  being  on  duty 
nights. 

To  eyes  so  unaccustomed  as  ours  to  the  sight, 
how  strange  it  all  looked  at  midnight.  From  the 
big  tent  door  which  faced  south  and  towards  Nome 
City  we  could  see  the  blue  waters  of  Behriug  Sea 
away  in  the  distance.  Great  ships  lying  there  at 
anchor,  lately  arrived  from  the  outside  world  or 
just  about  to  leave,  laden  with  treasure,  at  this  long 
range  looked  like  mere  dots  on  the  horizon.  Be- 
tween them  and  us  there  straggled  over  the  beach 
in  a  westerly  direction,  a  confused  group  of  objects 
we  well  knew  to  be  the  famous  and  fast  growing 
camp  on  the  yellow  sands.  To  our  right,  as  well 
as  our  left,  rolled  the  softly  undulating  hills,  glow- 
ing in  tender  tints  of  purples  and  grays,  or,  if  the 
moon   hung   low    above    our   heads,    there    were 


134  L.i^e  in  a  Mining  Camp 

warmer  and  lighter  shades  which  were  doubly  en- 
trancing. 

Accompanying  the  low  moon  twinkled  the  silver 
stars  with  their  olden  time  coyness  of  expression. 
Little  birds,  not  knowing  when  to  sleep  in  the  end- 
less daylight,  hopped  among  the  dewy  wild  flowers 
of  the  tundra,  calling  to  their  mates  or  nestlings, 
twittering  a  song  appropriate  to  the  time  and  place 
because  entirely  unfamiliar. 

No  other  sound  was  to  be  heard  except  the  picks 
of  the  miners  at  work  in  the  stream.  No  word  was 
spoken  unless  the  foreman  gave  some  order.  Those 
sleeping  in  near-by  tents  must  not  be  wakened,  and 
besides  the  men  at  the  shovels  and  picks  did  no 
loitering.  There  were  the  long  sluice  boxes  to  be 
filled  with  what  was  once  the  creek  bed,  from  which 
the  water  was  now  turned  in  another  direction  to 
await  the  morning's  clean-up  of  gold. 

At  that  time  the  water  would  be  conducted  into 
the  long  boxes  to  wash  aw^ay  the  dirt  and  gravel, 
leaving  the  heavier  gold  in  the  bottom.  Either  Mr. 
A.  or  his  brother,  with  the  foreman,  attended  to 
cleaning  up  the  gold.  When  all  the  dirt  and  gravel, 
or  rock,  had  been  washed  out  of  the  sluices,  a 
whisk  broom  was  used  to  brush  the  gold  into  a 
corner  of  the  box,  a  dustpan  conveyed  it  to  broad- 
mouthed  gold  pans  close  at  hand,  and  these  were 
carried  into  the  kitchen. 

Here  the  pans  were  placed  upon  the  iron  range, 
big  mush  spoons  were  utilzed  for  stirring,  and  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  135 

precious  metal  was  well  dried  before  being 
weighed.  As  soon  as  possible  afterward  it  was 
taken  to  the  Bank  of  Nome.  A  tall,  black  horse 
was  purchased  for  this  purpose  alone,  and  after  a 
few  such  trips  the  intelligent  creature  most  reluc- 
tantly approached  the  office  where  the  gold  was 
kept,  having  learned  of  the  grievous  burden  he 
would  have  to  bear.  Sometimes  he  would  snort, 
throw  himself  and  pull  back,  and  in  every  way  show 
his  unwillingness  to  proceed. 

But  no  shirk  was  allowed  here.  The  horse  was 
led  close  to  the  steps  of  the  office  tent,  and  a 
gunny  sack  tied  in  the  middle  brought  out  by  two 
men  and  laid  over  the  back  of  the  unwilling  beast. 
A  rain  coat  or  blanket  was  flung  over  the  sack,  and 
the  man  at  the  halter  started  for  town,  leading  the 
horse,  which  walked  slowly  and  resignedly  after  be- 
ing compelled  to  go. 

A  second  man,  well  armed  with  revolvers  like  the 
first,  always  accompanied  the  pair,  and  when  the 
three  had  returned  to  the  claim  another  clean-uo 
awaited  them.  Enormous  sums  of  money  were 
taken  from  this  claim  while  we  were  there,  averag- 
ing ten  thousand  to  twenty  thousand  dollars  per 
day.  Seventy  men  worked  for  a  time  when  the 
water  was  at  its  best,  part  of  that  number  on  the 
day  force  and  part  at  night. 

In  August,  the  west  bank  of  the  creek  was  acci- 
dentally pricked  and  found  to  be  far  richer  than  the 
bed  of  the  stream.     Nuggets  worth  many  dollars 


136  Life  in  a  Mining  Camp 

were  contintially  imearthed,  the  largest  one  that 
summer  amounting  to  ninety  dollars.  The  ricliest 
pans  contained  sixty-four  dollars,  seventy-two  dol- 
lars and  seventy-five  cents  and  eighty-four  dollars, 
with  others  ranging  all  the  way  below. 

From  a  bench  claim  next  to  Number  Eleven  on 
this  creek,  and  only  one-fourth  of  a  mile  above 
us,  great  heaps  of  gold  were  taken  from  the 
ground,  no  pan  carrying  less,  it  was  said,  than  five 
dollars. 

From  seventy  men  to  wait  upon  when  the  stream 
was  at  high-water  mark,  to  twenty-five  when  it  was 
lower,  at  any  time  our  lot  was  hard.  We  worked 
with  chapped,  bleeding  hands  and  aching  backs. 
We  worked  until  our  tired  limbs  sometimes  refused 
to  carry  us  further.  By  the  middle  of  August  the 
nights  began  to  grow  dark  at  nine  o'clock,  and  a 
hold-up  or  two  took  place  on  the  creek.  The 
weather  was  rainy  and  cold,  with  frosty  nights  be- 
tween, and  as  we  were  all  in  tents,  and  these  some- 
times leaked,  which  did  not  improve  the  head 
cook's  temper  and  he  grew  almost  abusive:  we  re- 
tired, went  to  town,  and  left  him  alone  to  meditate 
Here  he  hastily  and  angrily  for  a  few  days  longer 
tossed  up  nondescript  messes  for  the  mrn.  which 
none  could  oat,  and  wa.s  then  discharge  1  in  dis- 
grace. 

In  all  there  were  fifteen  placer  claims  staked  on 
Anvil.  Some  of  these  were  scarcelv  touched  that 
summer,  but  from  those  operated  fully  two  million 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  137 

five  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  taken  in  three 
months. 

During  the  six  weeks  we  had  spent  at  Number 
Nine,  many  improvements  had  been  made  along  the 
route  and  in  Nome.  Where  before  we  had  traveled 
seven  miles  we  now  walked  only  two,  riding  on  the 
new  narrow  gauge  railroad,  spoken  of  there  as  Mr. 
Lane's,  the  remainder  of  the  way. 

At  Discovery  Claim,  instead  of  a  few  straggling 
tents,  there  were  eating  houses,  saloons,  store- 
houses, a  ticket  and  post-office,  and  the  nucleus 
of  a  town.  The  cars  we  boarded  were  open,  fiat- 
cars,  with  seats  along  the  sides,  to  be  sure,  but  thev 
w^ere  crowded  at  one  dollar  per  head  to  Nome. 
After  waiting  a  little  time  for  a  start,  the  whistle 
blew  shrilly,  the  conductor  shouted  "All  aboard!" 
and  we  trundled  along  behind  a  smoky,  sturdy  en- 
gine in  almost  civilized  style. 

This  Vv'as  the  first  railroad  in  Alaska  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  White  Pass  and  Yukon  road,  and 
will  eventually  extend  to  the  southern  coast  and 
Ihamna. 

Next  morning,  after  spending  the  night  on  the 
Sandspit  with  madam,  I  called,  bright  and  early, 
upon  my  Swedish  friends  in  their  restaurant. 

"Good  morning,  Mrs.  Sullivan!"  cried  Mary  in  a 
hearty  voice,  as  she  stirred  the  steaming  mush  on 
the  kitchen  range. 

"Good  morning!"  said  Ricka,  more  quietly,  but 


138  Life  in  a  Mining  Camp 

with  a  pleasant,  welcoming  smile.  "Did  you  come 
from  Number  Nine?" 

"Good  morning!"  from  Alma,  as  she  poured  a 
cup  of  hot  coffee  for  a  waiting  customer.  "Do  you 
want  to  help  us?    We  have  plenty  of  work." 

"That's  what  I  came  for,"  said  I,  laying  aside 
my  hat  and  coat.  "Will  you  lend  me  an  apron  till 
I  get  mine?"  glancing  toward  the  kitchen  sink  full 
of  unwashed  dishes,  and  the  cupboard  shelves  quite 
demoralized. 

"I'll  lend  you  six  if  you  will  only  help  us.  We 
are  so  busy  serving  meals  we  cannot  take  time  to 
get  settled,"  said  Mary.  "Yes,  we  moved  from  the 
tent  last  week,"  she  said  in  reply  to  my  question. 

"We  like  this  much  better.  The  tent  leaked 
during  the  hard  rains,  and  flapped  so  much  in  the 
wind  that  we  were  afraid  it  would  come  down  upon 
our  heads.  We  have  had  this  kitchen  built  on,  and 
shall  keep  open  till  the  last  two  boats  are  gone  for 
the  winter.  That  will  be  two  months  longer,  likely," 
and  Mary  talked  on  as  she  dished  up  the  griddle 
cakes  and  the  two  others  waited  upon  the  tables. 

I  felt  quite  happy  to  have  found  work  so  soon, 
and  that,  too,  among  friends,  and  without  any  par- 
ticular responsibility  attached  to  the  position.  I 
would  dignify  my  labor,  doing  it  well  and  accept- 
ably, carrying  always  a  sunny  face  and  pleasing 
mood.  The  work  was  of  a  kind  despised  by  hun- 
dreds of  women,  who,  after  landing  at  Nome,  had 
not  found  agreeable  and  genteel  situations,  and  so 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  139 

had  gone  back  home,  or,  in  some  cases,  done  ev^n 
worse. 

To  be  sure,  the  pay  was  not  large,  the  work  tire- 
some, and  I  would  be  snubbed  by  many  persons, 
but  I  had  not  come  to  Alaska  for  my  health.  That 
was  excellent.  Then  I  had  good  food  in  sufficient 
quantities,  which  was  always  a  thing  to  be  consid- 
ered in  that  country.  I  had  a  purpose  in  view  which 
I  never  lost.     I  would  get  some  gold  claims. 

The  Swedish  people  were  brave  and  fearless, 
as  well  as  patient  and  strong.  I  had  many 
acquaintances  among  them  already.  I  felt  they 
were  good  people  to  stay  with,  and  they  were  con- 
genial. To  be  sure,  a  few  spoke  English  with  an 
accent,  and  there  were  no  small,  white  hands 
among  them;  but  if  the  hearts  and  lives  were  clean 
and  true,  and  so  far  as  I  could  judge  they  were  so 
I  was  satisfied. 

The  missionaries  from  Golovin  including  the 
young  lady  who  had  come  up  on  the  "St.  Paul," 
had,  with  my  three  friends  here,  called  at  Number 
Nine  at  difTerent  times  during  the  six  weeks  of  our 
stay  there.  Already  a  plan  had  been  considerably 
discussed  which  would  take  a  party  of  us  to  Golo- 
vin to  winter,  either  in  the  Swedish  mission  or  near 
it,  and  of  all  things  in  mind  so  far  this  prospect 
most  pleased  me. 

We  would  be  fifty  miles  from  the  rich  Coun- 
cil City  mines  on  the  Fish  River  Creeks,  and  only 
half  that  distance  from  the  Topkok  diggings,  of 


I40  Life  in  a  Mining  Camp 

which  we  now  heard  considerable.  Every  creek 
within  many  miles  around  Nome  was  entirely 
staked,  but  in  the  vicinity  of  Golovin  we  might 
hope  to  secure  claims,  or,  at  least,  be  in  a  good 
position  to  learn  of  new  gold  strikes  if  any  were 
made  during  the  coming  winter, 

"But  we  will  keep  a  road-house  if  we  go  there," 
said  Alma,  "and  be  making  some  money.  I  am 
sure  there  will  be  many  people  traveling  through 
Golovin  all  winter,  and  we  can  make  a  few  dollars 
that  way  as  well  as  any  one  else.  Then  we  will  not 
forget  how  to  cook,"  and  the  young  woman,  with 
eyes  always  open  to  the  main  chance  for  "making 
money,"  as  she  called  it,  laughed  at  the  bare  possi- 
bility of  such  a  thing. 

"We  might  do  that  and  help  in  the  mission,  too, 
there  are  so  many  of  us.  I  would  like  to  work  in 
the  mission  for  a  change,  I  think,"  said  Ricka,  who 
was  very  reUgiously  inclined  and  quiet  generally. 

"What  would  you  like  to  do,  Mrs.  Sullivan?" 
asked  Mary.  "You  say  so  little,  and  we  talk  so 
much.    I  want  to  know  what  you  think." 

"Well,  there  are  three  of  you  to  talk,  and  I  am 
only  one,"  said  T,  laughing,  as  I  placed  the  cups 
and  saucers,  all  clean  and  shining,  on  the  cupboard 
shelves.  "T  should  like  the  mission  plan  better 
than  anything,  for  I  have  had  some  experience  in 
mission  work;  but  if  they  do  not  need  us  there, 
then  I  should  like  the  road-house  well  enough, 
though  I  think  if  eight  or  ten  of  us,  each  having 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  141 

enough  supplies  for  himself  for  the  Wimer,  should 
form  a  club  and  live  under  one  roof,  we  could  do 
so  more  cheaply  and  comfortably  than  any  other 
way,  and  have  a  real  jolly,  good  time  in  the  bargain. 
These  young  men,  many  of  them,  are  intending  to 
winter  here  somewhere,  and  all  hate  to  cook  for 
themselves,  I  know,  while  they  would  gladly  get 
the  wood,  water,  and  shovel  snow,  if  we  did  the 
cooking  and  housework.  None  need  to  work  hard, 
and  if  a  rich  gold  strike  were  reported,  somebody 
might  want  to  go  and  do  some  staking.  In  that 
way  we  might  get  some  gold  claims,"  I  reasoned, 
while  all  three  listened  during  a  lull  in  the  work. 

'That's  what  we  all  came  to  Alaska  for — gold 
claims.  I  want  three,"  remarked  Alma  with  com- 
placency, "and  besides,  there  is  plenty  of  driftwood 
at  Goiovin  on  the  beach  which  we  could  have  for 
nothing,  and  save  buying  coal  at  three  dollars  a 
sack,  as  we  do  here,"  glancing  at  the  scuttle  near 
the  range  reproachfully,  as  if  the  poor,  inanimate 
thing  was  to  blame  for  prices. 

Little  Alma  was  keen  at  a  bargain.  There  was 
nothing  slow  about  the  gray  matter  in  her  cranium. 
If  there  was  buying  to  do,  or  a  commodity  to  sell. 
Alma  was  the  one  of  the  restaurant  firm  to  do  it, 
enjoying  well  the  bargaining,  where  she  was  seldom 
outwitted. 

So  in  the  intervals  between  meals,  or  at  night 
when  the  day's  work  was  done,  we  discussed  our 
pjans  outside  the  kitchen  door  next  the  sea  beach. 


142  Life  in  a  Mining  Camp 

watching'  the  shipping  in  the  roadstead,  admiring 
the  lovely  sky  tints  left  by  the  setting  sun,  or  gazing 
at  the  softly  rolling  breakers  under  a  silver-bowed 
moon. 

ff  v;e  had  plenty  of  hard  work,  with  its  not  alto- 
gether desirable  phases,  we  also  enjoyed  much  be- 
side the  novelty.  Some  one  we  knew  was  always  in 
from  the  creeks,  principally  Anvil,  to  bring  latest 
news  as  well  as  to  collect  the  same,  and  the  kitchen 
as  well  as  the  dining  room,  was  the  constant  ren- 
dezvous of  friends  of  one  or  all  of  us.  Those  pros- 
pecting among  the  hills  or  on  the  beach  at  some 
distance  from  town  came  in  often  for  supplies  and 
to  visit  the  post-office,  giving  the  "Star"  a  call  for 
hot  cofTee,  if  not  a  supper,  before  leaving.  Jokes 
and  stories  flew  about  over  the  tables,  and  interest- 
ing incidents  were  always  occurring.  Good  humor 
and  good  cheer  flowed  on  every  side  along  with  the 
cordial  greeting,  and  tea  and  coffee,  though  nothing 
stronger  in  the  way  of  drinks  was  ever  placed  upon 
the  tables. 

In  the  kitchen  we  did  not  lack  voluntary  assist- 
ants when  work  pushed,  or  there  was  what  we 
called  "a  rush."  One  young  man  would  fill  the 
water  buckets  at  a  neighboring  hydrant,  another 
would  bring  in  coal,  and  some  other  would  carry 
away  refuse. 

Happy,  indeed,  were  the  great  number  of  does 
fed  from  the  "Star"  kitchen.  No  beggar  was  ever 
turned  away.     No  homeless  and  discouraged  sou). 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  143 

whether  man  or  woman,  sober  or  drunken,  was  al- 
lowed to  leave  as  forlorn  as  he  entered.  Men  often 
sat  down  at  the  tables,  who,  when  filled  with  good 
food  and  hot  drink,  in  a  warm  and  comfortable 
room,  fell  asleep  from  the  effects  of  previous  stimu- 
lants and  sank  to  the  floor.  When  this  happened 
some  strong  and  helpful  arm  assisted  such  a  on^ 
with  friendlv  advice,  to  the  street. 

The  two  sisters  were  now  our  nearest  neighbors, 
the  third  and  married  one  having  gone  with  her 
husband  to  live  in  a  new  cottage  of  their  own  in  an- 
other part  of  the  town.  The  elder  of  the  two  had 
kindly  oflfered  me  lodging  in  the  back  part  of  their 
store  building  of  which  our  restaurant  rooms  were 
a  half,  and  from  which  we  were  only  separated  by  a 
board  partition.  This  was  a  temporary  arrange- 
ment until  I  could  find  something  that  suited  me 
close  at  hand,  as  I  chose  to  be  near  my  work  on 
account  of  going  to  my  room  in  the  evening  after 
my  duties  were  done.  The  sisters  themselves  <;till 
lived  in  their  large  warehouse  a  few  feet  back  from 
the  store,  and  between  it  and  the  surf  which  rolled 
ceaselessly  upon  the  sands. 

I  was  now  more  comfortably  lodged  than  since 
I  had  landed  at  Nome.  My  canvas  cot,  placed  in 
the  back  of  the  store,  vacant  except  for  a  few  rolls 
of  carpeting,  matting  and  oil  cloth  on  sale  by  the 
sisters,  stood  not  far  from  the  large  coal  heater  in 
which  fire  was  kept  during  the  day,  making  the 
room  warm  and  dry  when  I  came  in  at  night.  Near 


144  ^if^  i"   ^   riining   Camp 

the  foot  of  my  cot  a  good  window  admitted  light 
and  sunshine,  and  a  door  opened  upon  a  flight  of 
six  stairs  into  a  tiny  square  yard  before  one  entered 
the  warehouse,  where  Hved  the  sisters.  This  latter 
building  was  made  of  corrugated  iron,  on  piles, 
with  windows  and  a  door  in  the  south  end  looking 
directly  out  upon  the  water  only  a  few  feet  awav, 
and  was  fitted  cosily  enough  for  the  summer,  but 
not  intended  for  anything  further  except  storage 
purposes.  A  second  door  in  the  north  end,  oppo- 
site the  one  in  the  store,  and  only  separated  from 
it  by  the  little  yard  was  the  door  generally  used. 
At  this  time  lodgings  without  fire  were  worth  dol- 
lars a  night  in  crowded  Nome,  and  one's  next 
neighbors  might  prove  themselves  anything  but 
desirable. 

Meanwhile  we  worked  steadily.  Many  of  the 
Anvil  Creek  mine  owners  and  their  men  took  meals 
at  the  "Star"  whenever  in  town.  Some  of  their 
office  employees  came  regularly.  Hundreds  were 
"going  outside"  on  boats,  and  all  was  bustle  and 
excitement.  At  least  twenty-five  thousand  people 
had  landed  at  Nome  during  the  summer,  and  fully 
one-half  of  them  had  gone  home  discouraged. 

On  Sunday,  September  second,  there  came  up  a 
most  terrible  storm,  which,  for  the  velocity  of  its 
gales,  tremendous  downfall  of  rain,  terrific  surf, 
accompanied  by  great  loss  of  life,  as  well  as  length 
of  duration,  had  not  been  equalled  for  over  twenty 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  145 

years.  Never  before  was  the  property  loss  so  great 
on  the  Behring  Sea  coast. 

By  nine  o'clock  Sunday  morning  the  large 
steamers  at  anchor  had  put  far  out  to  sea  for  safety. 
The  wind  rose,  the  rain  poured.  The  surf  was 
growing  more  rough.  At  dinner  time  those  who 
came  in  reported  the  dead  bodies  of  nine  men 
picked  up  on  the  beach.  They  had  attempted  to 
land  from  a  steamer,  and  their  small  boat  was 
swamped.  One  of  the  men  drowned  was  the  mate 
of  the  vessel.  For  days  the  storm  lasted  and  our 
work  increased.  It  was  not  long  before  the  con- 
tinuous rain  had  penetrated  our  little  kitchen  roof 
and  walls,  roughly  built  as  they  were  of  boards, 
and  from  that  on  we  worked  in  rubber  boots  and 
short  skirts  tucked  still  higher.  With  the  storm 
at  its  hardest,  I  donned  a  regular  "sou'wester,"  or 
waterproof  hat,  rather  than  stand  with  the  rain 
dripping  upon  my  head,  and  a  cape  of  the  same  ma- 
terial covered  my  shoulders. 

People  living  in  tents  when  the  storm  began — 
and  there  were  thousands — had  been  washed  out, 
or  been  obliged  to  leave  them,  and  could  not  get 
their  own  meals.  The  "Star"  swarmed  with  hun- 
dreds who  had  never  been  there  before,  as  well  as 
those  in  the  habit  of  coming.  Ten  days  passed. 
Sometimes  there  would  be  a  lull  in  the  storm  for 
a  few  hours  and  we  hoped  it  was  over,  but  the  surf 
ran  high  and  could  not  return  before  the  wind  again 
lashed  it  into  fury. 


146  Life   in   a   Mining   Camp 

One  midnight,  when  I  was  sleeping  soundly  alter 
an  unusually  hard  day's  duties  in  the  kitchen,  there 
came  a  hasty  knock  at  my  door. 

"Let  me  in  quick,  Mrs.  Sullivan,  the  ware- 
house, we  fear,  is  going.  We  must  come  in  here. 
We  will  bring  some  more  of  our  things,"  and  little 
sister  dropped  the  armful  of  clothing  she  carried 
and  ran  back  for  more. 

Sure  enough,  as  I  looked,  the  water  surged  up 
under  the  warehouse  to  the  foot  of  the  steps.  When 
she  returned  with  another  load  I  offered  to  dress 
and  assist  them,  but  she  said  they  would  only  bring 
the  clothing  and  bedding,  and  I  better  go  back  to 
bed. 

Breathlessly  the  sisters  worked  for  a  time,  until 
the  tide  prevented  them  from  again  entering  the 
warehouse,  and  they  made  their  bed  near  me  on  the 
floor.  When,  after  watching  the  waters,  they  felt 
satisfied  that  they  receded,  they  retired,  weary  and 
troubled,  hoping  that  before  another  high  tide  the 
storm  would  have  subsided  and  the  danger  would 
be  past. 

By  September  twelfth  the  surf  was  the  worst 
we  had  ever  seen  it,  and  Snake  River  had  over- 
flowed its  banks.  Most  of  those  on  the  Sandspit 
were  obliged  to  flee  for  their  lives.  Hundreds 
were  homeless  on  the  streets.  The  town's  whole 
water-front  was  washed  away.  Tents  not  only  went 
down  by  hundreds,  but  buildings  of  every  descrip- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  147 

tion  were  swept  away  and  flung  by  the  angry  surf 
high  up  on  the  sands. 

Anchored  lighters  and  barges  were  loosened 
from  their  moorings  and.  came  ashore,  as  did 
schooners  broken  and  disabled.  Dead  bodies  were 
each  day  picked  up  on  the  beach,  which  was  strewn 
with  wreckage. 

One  dark  night,  when  the  rain  had  ceased  for  a 
time  to  give  place  to  a  fearful  gale  which  tossed  the 
maddened  waters  higher  and  higher,  there  ap- 
peared upon  the  horizon  a  dim,  portentous  shape. 
At  first  it  was  only  a  form,  indistinct  and  uncertain. 
As  we  watched  longer,  it  gradually  assumed  the 
semblance  of  a  ship.  Keen  eyes  soon  discerned  a 
huge,  black  hulk,  of  monstrous  size  when  riding 
the  crest  of  the  breakers,  smaller  and  partially  lost 
to  sight  when  buried  at  intervals  in  the  trough  of 
the  sea. 

A  ship  was  drifting  helplessly,  entirely  at  the 
mercy  of  the  elements,  and  must  soon  be  cast  upon 
the  beach  at  our  feet.  Approaching  swiftly  as  she 
was,  in  the  heavy  sea,  as  the  violence  of  the  wind 
bore  her  onward,  lights  appeared  as  signals  of  dis- 
tress, telling  of  souls  on  board  in  fearful  danger. 

In  dismay  we  watched  the  helpless,  on-coming 
vessel.  We  were  in  direct  line  of  her  path  as  she 
was  now  drifting.  If  by  chance  the  mountain  of 
•water  should,  by  an  awful  upheaval,  rear  the  wreck 
upon  its  crest  at  landing,  we  woul^  be  engulfed  in 
fi  moment  of  time.    No  power  could  save  the  build- 


148  Life  in  a  ilining  Camp 

ings,  which  would  be  instantly  shivered  to  heaps 
of  floating  debris. 

Should  we  flee  for  our  lives?  Or  would  the  wind, 
quickly,  by  some  miracle,  change  its  course,  and 
thereby  send  the  menacing  vessel  to  one  side  of  us 
or  the  other?  Groups  of  patrolmen  and  soldiers 
everywhere  watched  with  anxious  eyes,  and  friends 
stood  with  us  to  encourage  and  assist  if  needed. 

God  alone  could  avert  the  awful,  impending  dis- 
aster.   He  could  do  so,  and  did. 

When  only  a  few  hundred  feet  from  shore,  the 
huge  black  mass,  rearing  and  tossing  like  a  tHing 
of  life  in  the  raging  sea,  swxrved  to  the  west  by  a 
sudden  veer  of  the  wind,  and  then,  amid  the  roar 
of  breakers  angry  to  ferocity,  she,  with  a  boom  aa 
of  cannon  in  battle,  plunged  into  the  sands  of  the 
beach  only- a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  away. 

The  earth  trembled.  With  one  long,  quivering 
motion,  like  some  dumb  brute  in  its  death  struggle, 
the  ship  settled,  its  great  timbers  parting  as  it  did 
so,  and  the  floods  pouring  clean  over  its  decks. 
Then  began  the  work  of  rescuing  those  on  board, 
which  was  finally,  after  many  hours,  successfully 
accomplished. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Bi\R-ROOM   DISTUR.BA.NC£S. 


IRLS,  O  girls!"  shouted  Mary  from 
the  kitchen  door  in  order  to  be 
heard  above  the  waters,  "Do  come 
inside!"  Then,  as  we  answered  her 
call  and  closed  the  door  behind  us, 
she  said:  "The  danger  is  over 
now,  and  you  can't  help  those  poor 
people  in  the  wreck.  There  are 
plenty  of  men  to  do  that.  See!  it 
is  nearly  midnight,  and  we  shall 
have  another  hard  day's  work  tomorrow.  Go  to 
bed  like  good  children,  do." 

"How  about  yourself,  ma?"  said  Rika,  carrying 
out  the  farce  of  mother  and  children  as  we  often 
did,  Mary  being  the  eldest  of  the  four. 

"I'm  going,  too,  as  soon  as  .1  get  this  pancake 
batter  made,  for  I'm  dead  tired.  We  will  hear 
the  particulars  of  the  wreck  at  breakfast,"  replied 
Mary. 

"Poor  things!  How  I  pity  them.  What  an 
awful  experience  for  women  if  there  were  any  on 
board,"  said  sympathetic  Ricka,  and  I  left  them 
talking  it  over,  to  roll  into  my  cot,  weary  from 
twelve  hours  of  hard  work  and  excitement. 


150  Bar- Room  Disturbances 

No  anxiety,  and  no  thundering  of  the  breakers 
could  now  keep  me  awake,  and  for  hours  I  slept 
heavily. 

Suddenly  I  was  wide  awake.  No  dream  or 
unusual  sound  had  roused  me.  Some  new 
danger  must  be  impending.  My  pulses  throbbed. 
The  clock  at  the  head  of  my  cot  ticked  regularly, 
and  its  hands  pointed  to  four.  The  sisters  slept 
peacefully  side  by  side.  The  whole  town  seemed 
resting  after  the  intense  and  continued  anxiety 
caused  by  the  storm,  and  I  wondered  why  I  had 
wakened. 

However,  something  impelled  me  to  get  up, 
and,  rising  quietly  from  my  cot  in  order  not  to 
arouse  the  others,  I  went  to  the  south  windov/ 
and  peered  out. 

My  heart  fairly  stood  still. 

The  waters  were  upon  us!  They  had  already 
covered  the  lower  steps  at  the  door  not  six  feet 
from  the  cot  on  which  I  had  slept.  I  stood  mo- 
tionless. If  I  knew  that  the  waters  were  reced 
ing,  I  would  go  quietly  to  bed,  allowing  the 
others  to  sleep  an  hour  longer;  but  if  they  were 
rising  there  was  no  time  to  lose.  None  could 
reckon  on  the  tides  now,  for  all  previous  records 
had  been  recently  broken.  I  would  wait  and  watch 
a  few  minutes,  I  decided,  and  I  wrapped  a  blanket 
around  me,  for  my  teeth  chattered,  and  T  shivered. 

How  cruel  the  water  looked  as  I  watched  it  creep 
closer  and  closer.     How  quietly  now  it  swept  at 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  151 

flood  tide  up  through  the  piles  under  the  warehouse, 
covering  the  little  back  yard  and  the  kitchen  steps 
of  the  restaurant.  With  the  cunning  of  a  thief  it 
was  creeping  upon  us  in  the  darkness  when  we 
were  asleep  and  helpless. 

Would  the  resistless  waters  persist  in  our  de- 
struction? Where  should  we  go  in  the  storm  if 
obliged  to  fly  for  our  lives? 

Twenty  minutes  passed. 

Another  step  was  covered  while  I  watched — the 
tide  was  rising. 

Crossing  the  room  now  to  where  my  friends  lay 
sleeping,  I  touched  little  sister  upon  the  shoulder. 

"Wake  up!  Wake  up!  The  tide  is  coming, — 
the  water  is  almost  at  the  door!  I  have  been 
watching  it  for  twenty  minutes,  and  I'm  sure  we 
ought  to  be  dressed,"  said  I,  trying  to  keep  my 
voice  steady  so  as  neither  to  betray  my  fright  nor 
startle  them  unnecessarily. 

Springing  from  their  bed  they  hurried  to  the 
window  and  looked  out. 

"I  should  say  so!"  exclaimed  the  younger  lady  in 
dismay. 

"These  treacherous  waters  will  not  give  us  up. 
They  want  us,  and  all  we  possess,  and  are  literally 
pursuing  us,  I  beUeve,"  groaned  Miss  S.,  the  older 
sister,  struggling  to  get  hastily  into  her  clothing. 
"But  we  must  waken  the  girls,"  she  said,  rap- 
ping on  the  intervening  wall,  and  calling  loudly 


152  Bar^Room  Disturbances 

for  the  three  other  women  who  still  slept  soundly 
from  fatigue. 

With  that,  we  all  dressed,  and  began  to  pack  our 
belongings;  I  putting  my  rubber  blanket  upon  the 
floor  and  rolling  my  bedding  in  that.  This  I  tied 
securely,  and  dragged  to  the  street  door,  packing 
my  bags  and  trunk  quickly  for  removal  if  neces- 
sary. 

In  the  restaurant  none  knew  exactly  what  to  do. 
The  water  had  covered  the  back  steps,  and  the 
spray  was  dashing  against  the  kitchen  door.  Un- 
derneath, the  little  cellar,  dug  in  the  dry  sand  weeks 
before,  and  used  as  a  storing  place  for  tents,  chairs, 
vegetables  and  coal  sacks,  was  filled  with  water, 
which  now  came  within  a  foot  of  the  floors.  From 
sheer  force  of  habit,  Mary  began  building  a  fire  in 
the  range,  and  I  to  pack  the  spoons,  knives  and 
forks  in  a  basket  for  removal.  Ricka  thought  this 
a  wise  thing  to  do,  but  Alma  remonstrated. 

"The  water  will  not  come  in.  You  need  not  be 
afraid.  If  it  does,  we  will  only  run  out  into  the 
street,  leaving  everything.  Let  us  get  breakfast 
now,  the  people  are  coming  in  to  eat,"  and  this  very 
matter-of-fact  young  woman  began  laying  the 
tables  for  the  morning  meal.  It  was  six  o'clock. 
The  men  soon  began  to  pour  into  the  dining  room 
hungry,  wet  and  cold.  Many  h^d  been  out  all 
night,  assisting  in  the  rescue  work  or  patroling  the 
beach,  inspecting  each  heap  of  wreckage  in  search 
of  dead  bodies  and  valuables,  for  many  among  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  153 

missing  were  supposed  to  have  perished  in  tlie 
storm. 

Three  men  engaged  in  rescuing  the  survivors  of 
the  big  wreck  of  the  night  previous,  had  been  swept 
from  the  barge  alongside,  and  gone  down  in  the 
boiUng  surf.  Searching  parties  were  out  trying  to 
legate  a  number  of  men  who  had  started  two  davs 
before,  during  a  hdl  in  the  storm,  against  the  warn- 
ings of  friends,  for  Topkok  to  the  east.  They  were 
never  again  seen. 

I  had  now  to  find  other  lodgings,  for  the  sisters 
needed  their  room.  Leaving  my  work  for  an  hour 
in  the  forenoon  I  tramped  about  in  the  mud  look- 
ing everywhere  within  two  blocks  of  the  "Star," 
for  I  did  not  wish  to  go  further  away. 

After  calling  at  a  number  of  places,  I  was 
directed  to  a  small  hotel  or  lodging  house  across 
the  street  from  the  "Star,"  and  about  one  and  a  half 
blocks  further  east.  A  man  andi  his  wife  kept  the 
house,  which  consisted  of  eating  room  and  kitchen 
on  the  east  side  of  the  lower  floor,  and  a  big  bar- 
room or  saloon  on  the  west  side.  The  second  floor 
was  divided  by  a  long  narrow  hall  into  two  rows  of 
small  rooms  for  rent  to  lodgers.  The  woman 
showed  me  a  little  room  with  one  window  on  the 
west  side. 

"I  wish  to  rent  by  the  week,  as  T  am  expecting 
to  leave  town  before  long,"  said  I,  after  telling  her 
my  business,  and  where  I  was  at  work.  "What 
rent  do  you  charge?" 


154  Bar- Room  Disturbances 

"Five  dollars  per  week,  unfurnished,"  said  she. 

I  caught  my  breath.  The  room  was  about  eig^ht 
feet  square,  and  as  bare  as  my  hand.  Not  even  a 
shade  hung  at  the  window.  It  was  ceiled  with 
boards  around  and  overhead.  I  asked  if  she  would 
put  up  a  window  shade.  She  said  she  would  when 
her  husband  returned,  as  she  expected  him  in  a  few- 
days  from  Norton  Sound, 

After  talking  with  the  little  woman  she  seemed 
to  wish  me  to  take  the  room,  assuring  me  that 
there  were  only  quiet,  decent  people  in  the  house, 
and  the  saloon  below  was  closed  each  day  at  mid- 
night. There  was  a  billiard  table  and  piano  in  the 
bar-room;  but  no  window  shades,  shutters  nor 
screens  of  any  sort,  she  said.  Her  own  room  was 
next  this  one,  and  she  was  always  there  after  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  so  I  need  not  feel  timid. 

Upon  reflection,  I  took  the  room,  and  paid  the 
rent.  My  things  could  not  stand  in  the  street,  and 
I  must  have  a  place  in  which  to  sleep  at  night.  It 
was  high  and  dry,  and  far  enough  away  from  the 
surf,  so  that  I  need  not  fear  being  washed  out.  I 
would  not  be  in  my  room  during  the  day,  and  it  was 
only  for  a  few  weeks,  anyway.  It  suited  my  needs 
better  than  anything  I  could  find  elsewhere,  and  as 
for  furnishings,  I  could  do  without. 

I  went  back  to  my  work,  and  had  my  baggage 
and  cot  sent  to  the  room.  I  could  settle  things  in 
a  few  minutes  in  the  evening  before  retiring. 

The  surf  still  boomed  upon  the  beach,  and  rain 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  155 

and  mist  continued  all  day,  but  without  wind.  For 
hours  the  waters  kept  close  to  our  floors,  but  did 
not  quite  reach  them.  Floating  wreckage  washed 
up  at  our  feet,  and  two  lighters,  loose  from  their 
moorings,  lodged  beside  the  warehouse  at  the  mercy 
of  the  surf.  We  were  in  constant  fear  that  they 
would  shove  the  warehouse  oflf  the  piles  against 
our  buildings,  and  that  would  be,  without  doubt,  the 
finale. 

Tn  the  meantime,  there  was  "a  rush"  indoors 
such  as  we  never  before  had.  Many  carried  hearts 
saddened  by  the  loss  of  friends  or  property.  Some 
had  not  slept  for  days.  At  the  tables,  at  one  time, 
sat  two  beggars  and  a  number  of  millionaires. 
Some  who  had  reckoned  themselves  rich  a  few 
days  previous  were  now  beggared.  The  great  wreck 
of  the  night  before  was  going  rapidly  to  pieces. 
With  a  mighty  force,  the  still  angry  breakers  dashed 
high  over  the  decks  of  the  ship.  ]\Iasts  and  rigging 
went  down  hourly,  and  ropes  dangled  in  mid-air, 
while  men  unloading  coal  and  lumber  worked  like 
beavers  at  windlass  and  derrick,  which  creaked 
loudly  above  the  noise  of  the  waters. 

More  and  more  was  the  ship  dismantled.  When 
the  storm  cleared,  and  the  sun  came  out  next  day, 
the  scene  was  one  of  wondrous  grandeur.  Nothing 
more  magnificent  had  I  ever  before  beheld.  Great 
masses  of  water,  mountain  high,  rolled  continu- 
ally landward,  their  snowy  crests  surmounted  bv 
veils  of  mist  and  spray,  delicate  as  the  tracery  on 


156  Bar-Room  Disturbances 

some  frosted  window  pane.  As  the  sun  lifted  his 
head  above  the  horizon,  throwing  his  beams  widely 
over  all,  each  mist-veil  was  instantly  transformed 
into  a  thing  of  surpassing  beauty.  It  could  only  be 
compared  to  strings  of  diamonds,  rubies  and  pearls. 
With  a  fairy's  witchery,  or  a  magician's  spell,  the 
whole  face  of  the  waters  was  changed.  Each 
wrecked  craft  along  the  shore,  partially  buried  in 
sand,  masts  gone,  keel  broken,  and  anchor  dragged, 
with  the  surf  breaking  over  all,  was  transformed 
under  the  brilliant  sunshine,  until  no  painting  could 
be  more  artistically  beautiful.  Under  the  fascina- 
tion of  it  all  we  forgot  the  anxiety,  the  labor  and 
suspense  of  the  last  days  and  weeks,  and  every 
moment  of  interval  between  work  we  spent  at  our 
door  next  the  beach,  or  after  the  falling  of  the  tide, 
further  out  upon  the  sands. 

Many  wrecks  lay  strewn  along  the  beach. 
Schooners,  barges  and  tugs  lay  broken  and  help- 
less. Untold  quantities  of  debris,  lumber,  pieces 
of  buildings,  tents,  boxes  and  barrels,  all  testified 
to  the  sad  and  tremendous  havoc  made  by  this 
great  storm. 

In  my  little  room  I  rested  quietly  when  my  day's 
work  was  done.  The  landlady  had  taken  down  an 
old  black  shawl  I  had  pinned  to  the  window,  and 
hung  a  green  cloth  shade  of  ugly  color,  and  too 
wide  by  several  inches.  It  was  better  than  no 
shade,  and  I  said  nothmg.  For  a  bed  I  had  my 
own  cot;  for  a  washstand,  a  box.     At  the  head  of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  157 

my  cot  stood  two  small  boxeSj,  one  above  the  other, 
and  upon  these  I  placed  my  clock,  matches,  pin- 
cushion, brush  and  combs,  while  below  were  stowed 
away  other  little  things.  A  few  nails  on  the  wall 
held  my  dresses,  but  my  trunk  remamed  packed. 
A  candle,  tin  wash  basin,  and  bucket  completed 
my  room  furnishings,  simple  and  homely  enough  to 
satisfy  the  asceticism  of  a  cloistered  nun  or  monk. 

On  September  twenty-seventh  there  fell  the  first 
snow  of  the  season.  A  little  had  for  days  been  lying 
upon  the  hilltops  of  Anvil,  but  none  nearer.  The 
only  fire  in  my  room  was  an  oil  lamp  upon  which 
I  heated  water  upon  going  home  at  night;  but  with 
plenty  of  blankets  and  wool  clothing  I  was  com- 
fortable with  the  window  open. 

One  evening  while  going  to  my  room  T  heard 
some  one  singing  in  the  bar-room.  I  hurried  up 
the  stairs  on  the  outside  of  the  building,  which  was 
the  only  way  of  entrance  to  the  second  floor,  and 
entered  my  room.  Depositing  my  lighted  lantern 
upon  the  floor,  I  listened.  The  singing  continued'. 
It  was  a  youthful  woman's  voice.  I  would  see  for 
myself.  Going  quietly  out  the  door,  and  down  part 
way  to  a  window  crossel  by  th-?  stairs,  I  sat  down 
upon  a  step  and  looked  into  the  room  below.  It 
was  the  big  bar-room.  It  was  pl'^asint  and  warm, 
with  lights  and  fire.  Upon  th^  bri<?;"ht  green  cloth  of 
the  billiard  table  lay  a  few  gay  balls,  but  no  p-'^m-^ 
was  then  in  progress.  The  big  piano  waited  open 
near  by.       The  bartender  stood  behind  the  bar, 


158  Bar-Room  Disturbances 

backed  by  rows  of  bottles,  shining  glasses  and 
trays.  A  mirror  reflected  the  occupants  of  the 
room,  some  of  whom  were  leaning  against  the 
counter  in  various  attitudes,  but  the  central  figure 
stood  facing  them. 

It  was  a  beautiful  young  girl  who  was  singing. 

A  few  feet  from,  and  directly  in  front  of  the  girl, 
was  her  companion,  a  well  dressed  and  good  look- 
ing young  man  a  little  older.  Both  were  intoxi- 
cated, and  trying  to  dance  a  cake  walk,  accompany- 
ing themselves  by  singing,  "I'd  Leave  My  Happy 
Home  for  You." 

She  was  singing  in  a  tipsy,  disconnected  way  the 
senseless  ditty,  swaying  back  and  forth  to  the  imag- 
inary music.  Beautiful  as  a  dream,  with  dark  hair, 
and  great  melting  eyes,  her  skin  was  like  lilies,  and 
each  cheek  a  luscious  peach.  Her  tall,  graceful 
figure,  clad  in  long,  sweeping  black  draperies,  with 
white  jeweled  fingers  daintily  lifting  her  skirts  while 
she  stepped  backward  and  forward,  made  a  picture 
both  fascinating  and  horrible. 

I  sat  gazing  like  one  petrified.  The  girl's  laugh 
rang  through  the  room.  "I'd  Leave  My  Happy 
Home  for  You,  ou — ou,"  she  was  singing  still 
weaving  and  swaying  now  from  side  to  side,  as  if 
about  to  fall.  Her  companion  approached  and  at- 
tempted to  place  his  arm  about  her  shoulders,  but 
she  gave  him  a  playful  push,  which  sent  him  sprawl- 
ing, at  which  she  shouted  in  great  glee,  dropping 
her  drapery  and  flinging  her  lovely  arms  above  her 


A  Woman  Who  Went — Te  Alaska  159 

head.  How  the  diamonds  sparkled  on  her  Httle 
hands!  How  the  men  in  the  bar-room  clapped, 
swearing  she  was  a  good  one,  and  must  have  an- 
other drink.  Someone  gave  an  order,  and  the  bar- 
tender handed  out  a  small  tray  upon  which  stood 
slender-necked  amber-colored  glasses  filled  to  the 
brim. 

As  the  girl  quickly  tossed  off  the  liquor,  I 
groaned  aloud,  awaked  from  my  trance,  and  fled 
to  my  room,  where  I  bolted  the  door,  and  fell  upon 
my  knees.  God  forgive  her!  What  a  sight!  I 
wanted  to  rush  into  the  bar-room,  seize  the  young 
girl,  and  lead  her  away  from  the  place  and  her 
companions,  but  I  could  not.  I  had  barely  enough 
room  for  myself.  I  had  little  money.  What  could 
I  do  for  her?  Absolutely  nothing.  If  I  went  in 
and  attempted  to  talk  with  her  it  would  do  no  good, 
for  she  was  drunk,  and  a  drunken  person  cannot 
reason.  The  men  would  jeer  at  me,  and  I  might 
be  ejected  from  the  place. 

Finally  I  went  to  bed.  At  midnight  the  singing 
and  shouting  ceased,  the  people  dispersed,  the  bar- 
tender put  out  the  lights,  and  locked  the  doors. 

For  the  first  time  since  reaching  Nome,  my  pil- 
low was  wet  with  tears,  and  I  prayed  for  gold  with 
which  to  help  lift  these,  my  sisters,  from  their  awful 
degradation. 

It  was  well  toward  midnight  and  I  had  been 
asleep  for  some  time.  My  subjective  mind,  ever 
on  the  alert  as  usual,  and  ready  to  share  enjoyment 


i6o  Bar-Room  Disturbances 

as  well  as  pain  with  my  objective  senses,  began 
gradually  to  inform  me  that  there  was  music  in  the 
air.  Softly  and  sweetly,  like  rippling  summer  waters 
over  mossy  stones,  the  notes  floated  upward  to  mv 
ears.  The  hands  of  an  artist  lay  upon  the  keyboard 
of  the  instrument  in  the  room  beneath. 

I  listened  drowsily. 

With  the  singing  of  brooks,  I  heard  the  twitter 
of  little  birds,  the  rustle  of  leaves  on  the  trees,  and 
saw  the  maiden-hair  nodding  in  the  glen.  I  was  a 
little  child  far  away  in  the  Badger  State.  Again  I 
was  rambling  through  green  fields,  and  plucking 
the  pretty  wild  flowers.  How  sweet  and'  tender  the 
blue  skies  above!  How  gentle  the  far-away  voice 
of  my  mother  as  she  called  me! 

They  were  singing  softly  now, — men's  voices, 
well  trained,  and  in  sweetest  harmony: 

"  I'm  coming,  I'm  coming, 
My  ear  is  bending  low. 
I  hear  the  angel's  voices  calling 
Old  Black  Joe." 

They  sang  the  whole  song  through,  and  I  was 
now  wide  awake. 

Familiar  songs  and  old  ballads  followed,  the 
master  hand  at  the  keys  accompanying, 

"We  are  going  outside  on  the  'Ohio'  tomorrow," 
said  one  in  an  interval  of  the  music,  "and  then,  ho! 
for  home  again,  so  I'm  happy,"  and  a  momentary 
clog  dance  pounded  the  board  floor. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  i6i 

"Have  a  di-ink  on  it,  boys?"  asked  a  generous 
bystander  who  had  been  enjoying  the  music. 

"No,  thanks,  we  never  drink.  Let's  have  a 
lively  song  now  for  variety,"  and  the  musician 
struck  up  a  coon  song,  which  they  sang  lustily. 
Then  followed  "America,"  "Auld  Lang  Syne,"  and 
"  'Mid  Pleasures  and  Palaces,"  the  dear  old  "Home, 
Sweet  Home,"  coming  with  intense  sweetness  and 
pathos  to  my  listening  ear.  No  sound  disturbed 
the  singers,  and  others  filed  quietly  out  when  they 
had  gone  away.  "God  bless  them,  and  give  them 
a  safe  voyage  home  to  their  dear  ones,"  I  breathied, 
with  tears  slipping  from  und(er  wet  lashes,  and  a 
great  lump  in  my  throat. 

"Thank  God  for  those  who  are  above  temptation, 
even  in  far-away  Alaska,"  and  again  I  turned,  and 
slept  peacefully. 


CHA.PTER  XIII. 


OFF    FOR    GOLOVIN    BAY. 

lY  October  twelfth  the  weather  began  to 
"D  ■  be  quite  wintry,  with  snow  flurries,  cold 
wind,  and  a  freezing  ground.  All  now 
felt  their  time  short  in  which  to  pre- 
pare for  winter,  change  resideflce,  and 
get  settled.  After  many  days  of  plan- 
ning, in  which  eight  or  ten  persons  were 
concerned,  it  was  finally  decided  that 
we  should  go  to  Golovin  Bay, 

The  head  missionary,  and  one  or  two 
of  his  assistants  from  that  place,  had  been  with  us 
part  of  the  timie  during  the  great  storm,  so  we  were 
quite  well  acquainted,  and  we  would  be  near  the 
Mission. 

The  "boys,"  as  we  called  the  young  men  for 
short,  would  build  a  cabin  in  which  the  funds  of  the 
women  were  also  to  be  pooled.  Three  of  the  boys 
had  gone,  some  weeks  before,  to  Golovin  to  assist 
in  the  erection  of  a  new  Mission  Home,  twelve 
miles  further  down  the  coast;  but  as  a  shipload  of 
mission  supplies  had  been  lost  at  sea,  including 
building  materials,  their  work  was  much  hampered, 
and  it  was  not  expected  that  the  new  home  would 
be   completed,   though   sadly   need'ed  for  the    ac- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  163 

commodation  of  the  constantly  increasing  numbers 
of  Eskimo  children  for  which  it  was  i'ntonded. 

In  this  case,  no  new  helpers  could  be  added  to  the 
missionary  force,  though  Miss  L.,  a  tall,  intelli- 
gent young  woman,  was  to  be  placed  in  the  home 
kitchen  as  cook,  and  would  accompany  us  to  Golo- 
vin.  It  was  decided,  then,  that  the  restaurants  be 
closed  immediately  before  the  last  boat  left  Nome 
for  Golovin,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  there 
after  the  last  steamier  had  gone  until  the  ice  was 
solid,  and  winter  trails  were  good  over  the  hills. 
Most  of  us  didi  not  care  to  remain  so  long  where 
we  were,  and  made  ready  to  sail  on  the  small  coast 
steamer  "Elk,"  schedulied  to  leave  Nome  October 
eighteenth. 

On  the  evening  of  the  sixteenth  the  doors  of  the 
"Star"  were  formally  closed.  We  had  had  a  rush 
uip  to  the  last  moment,  and  all  hands  were  com- 
pletely tired  out.  It  had  been  a  long  pull,  and  a 
steady  pull,  and  the  thought  uppermost  in  the 
minds  of  us  four  women  was  to  get  to  Golovin  anc'i 
rest.  Even  Alma  sighed  for  a  vacation  from  hard 
work,  feeling  that  the  roadhouse,  if  they  opened 
one,  must  wait  until  she  was  rested. 

Mary  wished  to  remain  at  Nome  for  a  while,  and 
oome  later  by  dbg-team  when  the  trails  were  good. 
She  would  take  a  day  after  we  had  gone  to  finish 
storing  away  the  "Star"  outfit  for  the  next  sum- 
mer, and  make  the  rooms  tidy,  afterwards  visiting 
acquaintances,  andl  d'oing  shopping. 


164  Off  for  Qolovin  Bay 

Far  two  days  after  closing  the  "Star"  we  were 
busy  as  bees,  but  at  a  change  of  occupation.  We 
bought  food  supplies,  coal-oil,  and  warm  clothing, 
receiving  parcels  of  the  latter,  including  yarns  for 
winter  knitting,  at  the  hands  of  the  stewardess  of 
the  "St.  Paul,"  who  had  kindly  made  our  purchases 
in  San  Francisco  at  better  prices  (for  us)  than  we 
found  at  Nome.  Some  bought  furs,  when  they 
could  find  them,  though  these  were  scarce  and 
costly,  and  each  person  carried  his  own  bedding. 
Letters  to  the  outside  were  written  and  posted, 
mails  collected,  freight  and  other  bills  paid,  and 
tickets  secured  on  the  steamer. 

For  my  own  part,  I  now  found'  some  kindly 
helper  with  strong  arms  whenever  I  hadi  a  trunk, 
bag,  or  box  to  lift  or  transfer,  and  no  remuneration 
for  services  thus  rendered  beyond  a  smiling  "thank 
you  very  much,"  was  ever  accepted. 

What  a  strong,  hearty,  clean,  and  good-natured 
lot  are  these  Swedes.  How  helpful,  sympathetic 
and  jolly  withal.  It  was  easy  for  them  to  see  the 
clear,  bright  side  of  everything,  and  to  turn  an  in- 
nocent joke  on  themselves  occasionally;  for  one 
told  on  another  is  never  so  effective  and  enjoyable 
as  a  joke  on  oneself;  but  there  were  often  those 
with  tears  in  their  eyes,  and  a  homesick  feeling  at 
their  heart  upon  bidding  farewell  to  friends  who 
were  leaving  for  the  outside. 

With  the  approach  of  a  long,  hard  winter  in  the 
Arctic,  so  unknown  and  untried  by    many,    with 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  165 

a  distance  of  thousands  of  miles  of  ocean  soon  to 
roll  between  them,  it  was  many  times  difificult  to 
say  a  careless  good-bye.  For  those  remaining  in 
Alaska,  who  could  foresee  the  future?  Was  it  to 
be  a  fortunate  and  happy  one,  or  would  it  disclose 
only  misfortune,  with,  perchance,  sickness  and 
death?  Would  these  partings  be  followed  by  fu- 
ture happy  meetings,  or  were  they  now  final? 
Who  could  tell? 

Among  those  constantly  sailing  for  the  outside 
were  those  who  left  regretfully,  and  those  who  left 
joyfully;  there  was  the  husband  and  father  return- 
ing to  his  loved  ones  with  "pokes,"  well  filled  with 
nuggets,  and  the  wherewithal  to  make  them  more 
happy  than  ever  before. 

There  were  those  returning  to  sweethearts  who 
daily  watched  and  waited  longingly  for  their  home- 
coming which  would  be  more  than  joyful.  There 
were  those  leaving  who  would  come  again  when 
the  lonig  winter  was  over,  to  renew  their  search  for 
gold  already  successfully  begun;  and  they  were 
satisfied. 

There  were  many  who  left  the  gold  fields  with 
discouragement  depicted  upon  their  every  feature. 
They  had  been  entirely  unable  to  adapt  themselves 
to  circumstances  so  different  to  any  they  had  be- 
fore known,  and  they  had  not  possessed  the  fore- 
sight and  judgment  to  decide  affairs  when  the  criti- 
cal moments  came.  Perhaps  a  fondness  for  home, 
and  dear  ones,   pulled   too   persistently  upon  the 


1 66  Off  for  Qolovin  Bay 

heartstrings;  nothing  here  looked  good'  to  them, 
and  they  went  home  disgusted  with  the  whole 
world.  Unless  a  man  or  woman  can  quickly  adjust 
himself  or  herself  to  changed  conditions,  and  has  a 
willingness  to  turn  his  or  her  hand  to  any  honorable 
labor,  he  would  better  remain  at  home,  and  allow 
others  to  gO'  to  Alaska. 

If  a  man  goes  there  with  pockets  already  well 
lined,  intending  to  operate  in  mining  stocks,  he 
still  needs  the  adjustable  spirit,  because  of  the  new, 
crude,  and  compulsory  manners  of  living.  He 
must  be  able  to  forget  the  luxury  of  silver  spoons, 
delicate  hands,  soft  beds,  and  steam  heat;  enjoying, 
or  at  least  accommodating  himself  to  the  use  C'f 
tin  spoons,  coarse  food,  no  bed,  and  less  heat,  if  his 
place  and  circumstances  for  a  timie  demand  such 
loss  of  memory. 

A  bountiful  suppJy  of  hopefulness  is"  aJso  neces- 
sary, in  order,  at  times,  to  make  the  darkness  and 
discomfort  of  the  present  endurable,  and  this  will 
wonderfully  cheer  and  create  patience.  Thou- 
sands of  persons  who  were  ill  qualified  in  these 
and  other  respects  had  journeyed  to  Alaska,  only 
to  return,  homesick,  penniless,  and  completely  dis- 
couraged, who  never  should  have  left  their  home 
firesides. 

Not  so  with,  the  Swedish  people.  They  are  ac- 
customed to  a  cold  climate,  hard  work,  and  condi- 
tions needing  patience  and  perseverance,  without 
great  luxuries  in  their  homes,    and    being   strong 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  167 

and  hearty  physically,  they  are  well  fitted,  both  by 
nature  and  practice,  for  life  in  the  new  gold  fields 
of  Alaska.  There  were  more  reasons  than  one  for 
their  success  in  tlie  far  Northwest,  and  a  litJe 
study  of  cause  and  effect  would!  disclose  the  truth, 
when  it  will  be  found  that  it  was  not  all  "luck" 
whJich  made  so  many  successful. 

Our  last  d&y  at  Nome  is  a  confused  memory  of 
trunks,  boxes,  bags,  barrels,  dog-teams,  tickets, 
bills,  lunches,  tables,  dishes,  and  numerous  othicr 
things.  Trampingi  hurriedly  through  busy,  dirty 
streets,  and  heavy,  sandy  beach  with  arms  loaded 
with  small  baggage  (we  had  neither  parrots  nor 
poodles)  making  inquiries  at  stores  and  offices, 
doing  innumerable  errands,  saying  good-bys,  and 
having  good-luck  wishes  called  after  us;  and  then, 
when  the  sun  had  disappeared  for  the  day,  and 
night  was  almost  upon  us,  we  turned  our  backs 
upon  our  summer  camp,  and  hastened  to  our  winter 
home. 

At  the  water's  edge  small  pieces  of  ice  washed 
up  and  down  with  a  clinking  sound  upon  the  sands, 
as  if  to  give  us  notice  of  approaching  winter,  but 
the  ocean  was  almost  as  smooth  as  a  floor.  No 
breath  of  wand  disturbed'  the  surface,  and  only  a 
gentle  swell  came  landward  at  intervals  to  remind 
us  of  its  still  migihty,  though  hidden,  power. 

Then  we  were  all  in  readiness  to  leave.  A  little 
boat  was  drawn  upon  the  sand  Into  it  all  smiall 
baggage  was   tossed.      It  was  then  pushed  out 


1 68  Off  for  Qolovin  Bay 

farther  by  men  in  high  rubber  boots  standing  in  the 
water. 

"I  cannot  get  into  the  boat,"  laughed  Little 
Alma.      "I  will  get  my  feet  wet." 

"Not  if  I  can  help  it,"  answered  a  stalwart  sailor, 
who  immediately  picked  her  up  bodily  and  set  her 
down  in  the  boat,  repeating  the  operation  three 
times,  in  spite  of  the  screams  and  laughter  of  Miss 
L.,  Ricka  and  myself.  Ricka  and  I  were  only  of  me- 
dium height,  but  Miss  L.  was  a  good  six-footer, 
and  when  we  were  safely  in  the  boat,  and  she  had 
been  picked  up  in  the  sailor's  strong  arms,  if  she 
did  not  scream  for  herself,  some  of  us  did  it  for 
her,  thinking  she  would  certainly  go  head  first  into 
the  water;  but  no,  she  was  carefully  placed,  like 
the  rest  of  us,  in  the  boat. 

After  getting  settled,  and  the  final  good-bys 
were  waved,  the  men  sprang  in,  those  on  shore 
pushed  the  boat  off;  we  were  again  on  the  bosom 
of  old  Behring  Sea.  Smaller  and  fainter  grew  all 
forms  upon  the  shore.  Darker  and  deeper  grew 
the  waters  beneath  us.  The  lights  of  a  few  belated 
steamers  twinkled  in  the  distance,  their  reflec- 
tions, beautiful  as  jewels,  quietly  fixed  upon  the 
placid  waters.  Like  a  thing  of  sense,  it  seemed  to 
me,  the  great  ocean,  full  of  turmoil,  rage,  and  fury 
so  recently,  it  would  show  us,  before  we  left,  how 
lamblike,  upon  occasions,  it  could  be;  and  all  old 
scores  against  it  were  then  and  there  forgotten. 

A  dark  form  soon  lay  just  before  us.       "Where 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  169 

is  the  'Elk'?"  I  asked  of  a  sailor  rowing,  looking 
about  in  -the  giaitihering  darkness  which  had  rapidly 
fallen. 

"There  it  is,"  pointing  to  a  black  hulk  which 
lay  sullenly,  without  a  spark  of  light  visible,  close 
to  us. 

"But  do  they  not  know  we  are  coming'?  Have 
they  no  light  on  board?  J[iow  can  we  get  upon 
deck?"  we  asked  anxiously. 

"O,  they  will  bring  a  lantern,  I  iguess,"  laughed 
the  sailor,  then  thinking  to  put  us  at  our  ease,  he 
called  lustily  as  he  rested  himself  at  his  oars.  Not 
getting  a  reply,  he  shouted  again. 

Presently  two  men  appeared  with  as  many  lan- 
terns. I 

"Here,  you  fellows,  get  a  move  on,  and  help 
these  ladies  on  board,  will  i^oti?  Were  you  asleep, 
hey?" 

"Wall,  no,  mot  'zactly,  sah,  but  Fse  done  been 
working  hard  today,"  it  was  the  colored  cook  re- 
plying, as  he  rubbed  his  sleepy  eyes. 

"Haul  up  alongside  this  dory,"  said  the  other 
man,  as  he  put  his  lantern  down,  "and  let  the  ladies 
get  into  that  first,  then  we'll  help  'em  up  here." 

With  that  we  climbed  out  as  we  best  could  in 
the  darkness,  one  after  another,  the  boys  assstinsf, 
until  we  all  stood  laughing  in  the  little  cabin,  and 
counted  noses. 

"Are  we  all  here?"  asked  Mr.  G.,  who,  as  usual 
had  a  thoughtful  care  over  all. 


170  Off   for   Qolovin    Bay 

"All  here,  I  think,  but  the  bag^gage.  How  about 
that?"  said  I. 

"I'll  see  to  that,"  and  he  was  already  on  deck, 
■while  I  continued  counting. 

"Alma,  Ricka,  Miss  L.,  Mr.  G.,  Mr.  L.,  Mr.  B., 
and  myself  —  the  lucky  number  of  seven.  How 
fortunate  we  are.  We  are  sure  to  have  good  luck. 
Too  bad  Mary  is  not  here,  but  then  we  w^ould  not 
be  seven,"  and  we  were  all  laughing  and  talking  at 
the  same  time. 

In  the  cabin  there  was  only  one  lamp,  and  that 
was  swung  over  the  table,  looking  in  all  its  smoky 
smelliness  as  if  it  had  hung  there  for  ages  without  a 
scrubbing.  The  table  was  covered  with  dirty 
dishes  scattered  upon  an  oilcloth  spread.  The 
room  smelled  of  fish,  tobacco,  and  coal-oil,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  go  to  tHie  door  now  and  then  for 
fresh  air.  There  was  no  fire,  nor  heat,  neither  was 
there  a  place  fbr  any.  Rows  of  berths  in  two  tiers 
lined  each  side  of  the  cabin,  but  they  were  supplied 
with  mattresses  onlly.  Dark  curtains  hung  on 
wires  before  the  berths,  and  these  would  furnish  us 
with  our  only  privacy  on  the  trip. 

Finally  we  selected  our  berths,  assorted  our  lug- 
gage, and  sat  down  to  rest.  We  were  disappointed 
in  the  "Elk."  She  was  not  a  "St.  Paul,"  that  was 
certain.  The  colored  cook  soon  entered.  His 
apologies  were  profuse. 

"Hope  de  ladies  will  'scuze  de  state  ob  dis  year 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  171 

room,  but  Fse  done  been  mighty  busy  today,  and 
will  hab  ting's  fine  tomorer." 

"That's  all  right,  Jim,  if  you  only  igWe  us  a  good 
dinner  tomorrow.    Can  you  do  it?"  asked  Mr.  L. 

"Yas,  sar,  dis  chile  good  cook  when  de  tings 
are  gibben  him  to  cook,  but  when  dere's  no  taters, 
no  fresh  meat,  no  chicken,  no  fruit,  den  it's  mighty 
hard  to  set  up  fine  meals.  Dat's  de  trufl"  and  Jim 
nodded  his  woolly  head  emphatically  at  the  frequent 
undesirable  state  of  his  larder. 

"Prices  high  heah,  sah,  but  dis  old  man  almos' 
fru  wid  de  business;  de  las'  trip  ob  de  'Elk'  dis 
summah,  an'  I'se  glad  of  it,"  and  he  disappeared  in 
the  galley  carrying  his  arms  full  of  dishes. 

When  the  table  was  cleared  and  Jim  had  spread 
an  old  and  much  rumpled  red  cover  over  it,  I  took 
from  my  basket  a  small  square  clock,  and  winding 
it  up  with  its  little  key,  started  it  going.  It  was  a 
musical  clock  I  had  purchased  when  in  Nome,  of 
a  small  boy  about  to  leave  for  the  outsidle.  It  had 
been  given  him  by  a  lady,  and  he  had  grown  tired 
of  it,  his  mind  being  so  much  upon  his  contem- 
plated long  journey.  He  would  sell  it  for  three  dol- 
lars, he  said,  and  I  paid  the  money,  needing  a  time- 
piece, and  having  none.  So  now  the  little  music 
box  ticked  oflf  its  music  to  the  entertainment  of  all. 

However,  we  were  all  tired  and  the  place  was 
cold,  so  after  we  had  taken  our  last  look  at  the 
lights  of  Nome,  scattered  as  they  were  along  the 
shore  for  miles  in  the  darkness,  we  turned  in  for 


172  Off  for  Qolovin  Bay 

the  nigiht,  all  dressed  as  we  were,  and  drew  the  cur- 
tains around  us.  The  long,  deep-toned  whistle  of 
the  "Elk,"  had  sounded  somer  time  before,  and  we 
were  headed  east,  making  our  way  quietly  over  the 
smooth  waters. 

Another  chapter  of  our  lives  had  .begun.  Wliat 
would  the  end  be,  I  wondered. 

During  the  night  I  was  awakened  by  men  runi- 
ning  and  shouting  on  deck.  The  steamer  stopped. 
Somebody  went  out  to  inquire  the  cause.  In  a  little 
while  he  returned,  saying  that  four  men  had  been 
picked  up,  nearly  frozen,  in  an  open  boat  which 
was  leaking  badly,  and  they  were  found  just  in  time. 
Dry  clothes,  with  food  and  hot  drinks,  and  they 
would  be  all  right  again;  so  I  turned  over  and  tried 
to  sleep,  but  the  men  lounged  about,  smoking  and 
talking  with  the  captain  a  good  share  of  the  night, 
so  that  sleep  was  almost  out  of  the  question. 

How  I  wished  for  fresh  air!  How  I  hated  the 
tobacco  smoke  1  But  we  could  say  nothing,  for  the 
men  had  no  beds,  no  other  place  to  sit,  and  it  was 
too  cold  on  deck.  We  must  be  patient,  and  I  was 
patient,  feeling  thankful  that  the  lives  of  the  four 
men  had  been  saved,  if  each  one  did  smoke  like  a 
volcano  and  come  near  choking  us  to  death. 

After  a  while  there  was  another  commotion. 
What  now?  Their  five  dogs  had  been  left  in  the 
leaking  dory,  which  was  trailing  behind  us,  the  boat 
was  swamping,  and  the  animals  were  almost 
drowned.     They  were  whining,  crying,  and  soaking 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  173 

wet,  so  the  "Elk"  was  again  stopped,  the  dogs  taken 
on  board,  along  with  some  of  the  miners'  outfits, 
and  we  again  started  on  our  way. 

The  men  said  th^ir  dory  had  been  blown  ten 
miles  out  to  sea  by  a  wind  many  hours  before,  and 
had  then  sprung  a  leak,  wetting  their  food,  and 
threatening  them  with  destruction,  when  the  '^Ik" 
appeared  and  took  them  aboard  in  the  night. 

"Wall,  yes,  we  had  given  ourselves  up  for  lost, 
though  none  said  much  about  it,"  remarked  one  of 
the  saved  men  next  day,  in  speaking  of  their  ex- 
perience. "Some  one  mentioned  God  Almighty, 
I  believe,  and  I  could  almost  have  spoken  to  Him 
myself,  but  it  does  look  like  He  had  done  some- 
thing for  us,  don't  it?"  said  the  miner,  laughing 
quietly,  in  a  pleased,  relieved  way  as  he  finished.     .; 

We  were  exceedingly  glad  for  their  deliverance 
from  a  watery  grave,  but  we  pitied  ourselves  for 
our  discomforts,  until  we  pictured  ourselves  in  their 
forlorn  condition,  far  out  from  land,  at  night,  in  a 
leaky  boat,  without  food  and  freezing;  then  I  found 
myself  feeling  really  grateful  for  the  privilege  of 
sailing  on  the  "Elk,"  and  not  discontented  as  at 
first.  We  would  get  fresh  air  enough  this  winter, 
no  doubt,  to  drive  away  all  remembrances  of  the 
air  in  the  little  steamer's  cabin,  which  was  cold  as 
well  as  foul.  There  were  no  windows  or  ports  that 
we  could  see;  there  was  doubtless  a  closed  skylight 
somewhere,  but  to  keep  warm  even  in  our  berths 
required  management.    In  my  hand  luggage  I  car- 


174  Off  for  Golovin  Bay 

ried  a  bright  woolen  Indian  blanket,  a  souvenir  of 
St.  Michael  the  year  before,  in  which  I  now  rolled 
myself,  already  dressed  in  my  warmest  clothing  and 
heavy  coat. 

A  light-weight  gray  blanket  was  loaned  me  by 
the  cook,  who  had  purloined  it  from  the  pilot's 
bunk,  he  being  on  duty  and  not  needing  it  that 
night.  This  I  was  rather  chary  of  using,  for  reasons 
of  my  own,  but  it  was  that  or  nothing,  only  the 
mattress  being  underneath.  On  my  head  I  wore 
a  pink  crocheted  affair,  called  sometimes  a  "fas- 
cinator," which  was  now  used  simply  and  solely 
for  service,  I  assured  my  friends,  and  not  from  any 
lighter  motive, — but  my  feet!  How  I  should  keep 
them  comfortable  while  on  board  was  a  question. 
With  my  feet  cold  I  would  be  perfectly  miseral)le, 
and  although  I  wore  wool  hose  and  hi'gh,  stout 
laced  boots,  I  soon  found'  on  going  aboard  the 
"Elk"  that  to  be  comfortable  I  must  make  a 
change. 

I  said -nothing,  but  turned  the  situation  well  over 
in  mind.  At  last  I  found  a  solution.  Going  to  my 
bags  once  more,  on  the  aside  I  drew  out  my  new 
reindeer  skin  muckluks,  or  high  fur  boots,  and 
looked  at  them.  What  enormous  foot-gear,  to  be 
sure.  Could  I  wear  those  things?  I  had  put  five 
good,  hard-earned  dollars  into  them,  and  they  were 
said  to  be  warm  and  very  comfortable  when  worn 
properly,  with  hay  in  the  bottoms,  and  Arctic  socks 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  175 

over  one's  hose,  but  I  had  no  hay  and  could  not 
g-et  any. 

I  had  the  socks  in  my  trunk,  but  that  was  in  the 
Jiold  ol  the  ship,  or  somewhere  out  of  my  reach. 
I  held  the  mucklucks  in  my  hands,  and  slowly 
turned  them  round.  Suddenly  a  bright  thonght 
came.  I  would  pull  them  on  over  my  shoes.  I  did 
it.  They  went  on  easily.  I  drew  the  strings  attached 
at  the  back  of  the  ankle  forward  over  the  instep, 
crossed  them,  carried  them  back,  crossed  them  a 
second  time  and  tied  them  in  front,  in  order  to  use 
up  the  strings  so  they  would  not  trip  me  in  walking. 
Just  below  the  knees  I  pulled  a  woolen  drawstring" 
which  was  run  into  the  green  flannel,  inch-wide 
heading,  and  tied  this  loosely;  then  I  studied  them. 
Shades  of  my  buried  ancestry!  What  a  fright !  My 
own  mother  would  never  know  me.  I  wanted  to 
scream  with  laughter,  but  could  not,  for  I  had  per- 
formed the  operation  in  a  most  surreptitious  man- 
ner, behind  closed  doors  (bunk  curtains),  after  the 
others  had  retired. 

I  had  no  compunctions  of  conscience  as  to  put- 
ting my  shoes  upon  the  bed,  for  the  mattress  was 
both  sombre  and  lonely,  and  as  for  the  mucklucks, 
they  had  never  been  worn  by  man  (and  were  surely 
never  made  for  woman).  The  most  that  I  could 
db  was  to  lie  back  upon  my  bed,  cram  my  fascinator 
into  my  mouth,  and  struggle  to  suppress  my 
risibles. 

After  a  time  I  succeeded,  and  lay  enjcyying  the 


176  Off  for  Qolovin  Bay 

new  sensation  of  feet  and  limbs  warm  and  cozy  as 
if  in  my  mother's  warm  parlor  at  home;  and  then 
I  slept. 

Next  morning  I  kept  my  berth  late.  My  sleep 
had  been  much  broken,  and  the  place  was  cold 
The  bad  air  had  taken  my  appetite,  and  there  were 
already  too  many  in  the  small  cabin  for  conven- 
ience. Four  or  five  men  and  three  women  besides 
our  own  party  of  seven,  crowded  in  between  the 
dining  table  and  the  berths,  filled  the  small  cabin 
quite  beyond  comfort. 

The  main  question  in  my  mind,  however,  was 
how  to  prevent  the  company  from  seeing  my  feet. 
I  would  put  ofT  the  evil  hour  as  long  as  possible, 
for  they  were  sure  to  laugh  heartily  when  they  saw 
my  muckluks,  and  to  take  them  off — I  would  not. 
Some  one  brought  me  a  sandVvnch  finally,  inquiring 
at  the  same  time  for  my  health,  but  I  assured  them 
it  was  first  class, — I  was  only  resting.  Watching 
my  opportunity,  'toward  noon  I  slipped  out  of  my 
berth  quietly  and  made  myself  ready  for  dinner, 
keeping  my  feet  well  out  of  sight,  for  cook  Jim  had 
promised  a  fine  spread  for  the  two  o'clock  meal. 

When  it  came  I  was  ready.  It  is  sa/id  that  hunger 
is  a  good  sauoe,  and  I  believe  this  is  true,  for  other- 
wise I  could  never  have  eaten  the  dinner  that  day. 
Upon  a  soiled  and  rumplerl  white  (?)  cloth  Jim 
placed  his  "big  spread,"  which  consisted  of  whole 
jacketed  boiled  and  baked  potatoes,  meat  stew  (no 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  177 

questions  allowed),  dried  prunes  stewed,  biscuits, 
and  fourth  rate  butter,  with  tea  and  coffee. 

At  only  one  camp  was  there  a  stop  made.  There 
were  two  or  three  passengers  on  board  for  Bluff 
City,  a  new  and  prosperous  mining  camp,  com- 
posed chiefly,  though  so  late  in  the  season,  of  tencS. 
Lumber  and  supplies  of  different  kinds  had  to  be 
put  off.  As  the  entrance  to  the  hold  of  the  ship 
where  the  stores  were  kept  was  in  our  cabin,  we  had 
plenty  of  fresh  air  while  the  doors  were  all  open, 
along  with  the  mustiness  from  below,  for  several 
hours.  However,  I  managed  to  keep  pretty  com- 
fortable and  snug  in  "fascinator"  and  muckluks, 
enveloped  as  I  was  in  my  Indian  blanket. 

Hearing  a  bluff,  hearty  voice  which  sounded 
familiar,  I  looked  around,  and  in  walked  a  man 
whom  I  had  seen  at  St.  Michael  the  fall  before. 
He  had  charge  of  the  eating  house  there,  where  my 
brother  and  I  had  taken  our  meals  for  two  weeks. 
I  had  not  forgotten  his  kindness  in  giving  me  sore 
throat  medicine  when  there  had  been  nothing  of  the 
sort  to  buy,  and  I  was  suffering. 

This  man  remembered  me  well,  and  sat  down  to 
chat  for  a  little  while  with  us.  He  was  a  miner  now, 
and  a  successful  one,  he  said,  for  he  was  taking  out 
"big  money"  from  his  lay  on  Daniels  Creek,  only 
five  minutes'  walk  from  the  beach.  I  had  been  in- 
formed of  his  good  fortune  before  meeting  him,  so 
was  ready  with  congratulations. 

He  told  me  of  his  cabin  building,  his  winter's 


178  Off  for  Golovin  Bay 

stores  and  fuel,  and  seemed  in  high  spirits.  Of 
course  I  could  not  ask  him  what  ihe  meant  by  "big 
money,"  or  what  he  had  taken  from  his  claim,  al- 
though it  would  not  here,  as  in  the  Klondyke,  be 
a  breach  of  etiquette  to  inquire.  After  a  few  min- 
utes' chat  the  man  bade  us  bood-bye,  and  descended 
to  the  small  boat  alongside,  wihich  was  to  carry  him 
and  his  freight  ashore. 

It  was  nearly  dark  by  this  time,  and  another 
night  must  be  passed  on  board.  Some  were  com- 
plaining of  the  cold.  Others  were  shuffling  their 
feet  to  get  them  warm. 

"My  feet  are  awfully  cold,"  said  Alma,  moving 
them  uneasily  about.  "Aren't  yours,  Mrs.  Sulli- 
van?" 

"Not  at  all,"  I  replied,  trying  to  look  uncon- 
cerned, at  the  same  time  putting  my  feet  further 
under  my  skirts,  which  were  not  the  very  short 
ones  I  had  worn  at  Nome.  "You  know  what  hav- 
ing cold  feet  in  this  country  means,  I  suppose, 
Alma?" 

"O,  I  am  not  in  the  least  homesick,  if  that  is 
what  you  mean.  I  am  perfectly  happy;  but — " 
(here  she  glanced  down  upon  the  floor  in  the  direc- 
tion of  my  feet)  "what  have  you  over  your  shoes, 
anyway,  to  keep  so  warm,  Mrs.  Sullivan?" 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  the  muckluks  had 
to  come  to  light,  and  did.  At  sight  of  them  they 
all  shouted,  and  Alma  laughed  till  the  tears  ran 
down  her  cheeks. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Ala^ika  179 

"And  you  have  had  these  on  all  day  without  our 
seeing  them?  Where  have  you  kept  your  feet,  in 
your  pocket?"  she  persisted. 

"Well,  no,  not  exactly,  but  of  course,  under  the 
circumstances,you  could  hardly  expect  me  to  hang 
a  signboard  out  to  call  attention  to  them,  could 
you?"  I  laughed. 

"I  should  say  not.  Will  we  all  look  like  that  in 
muckluks?  Is  there  nothing  else  we  can  wear 
this  winter?  They  will  make  our  feet  look  so  awfully 
large,  you  see?" 

"That's  the  way  we  will  all  look,  only  a  good 
deal  worse,  for  some  of  us  have  no  skirts  to  cover 
them  with,  as  you  have,"  spoke  up  Mr.  G.  for  the 
first  time. 

"I  thought  the  'Elk'  leaned  to  the  land  side  more 
today  than  usual,"  said  Mr.  B.,  with  a  twinkle,  "but 
now  it  is  explained." 

"Bad  boy!  My  muckluks  were  on  that  side  of 
the  ship  from  the  first,  only  they  were  in  my  bag 
for  a  while.  They  are  no  heavier  now  than  they 
were  then.  You  shall  have  no  supper,"  said  I,  with 
mock  severity. 

So  I  kept  the  fur  boots  on,  in  spite  of  their  jokes, 
wondering  what  they  would  say  when  I  arrived  at 
Golovin  and  removed  my  fascinator  (another  sur- 
prise I  was  keeping  for  them),  and  contented  myself 
by  thinking  I  had  the  laugh  on  them,  when  they 
complained  of  cold  feet,  and  my  own  were  so  per- 
fectly comfortable. 


i8o  Off  for  Oolovin  Bay 

At  last,  on  the  morning  of  October  twentieth, 
with  the  sun  just  rising  over  the  snowy  hills  sur- 
rounding the  water,  the  cliffs  on  both  sides  o^  the 
entrance  standing  out  clear  and  sharp  in  the  cold 
morning  light,  and  with  one  ship  already  there,  we 
dropped  anchor,  being  in  Golovin  Bay.  The  settle- 
ment, a  score  of  houses,  a  hotel,  a  flagstaff  or  two, 
and  the  Mission. 

I  now  waked  the  girls,  who  turned  out  of  their 
bunks,  dressed  as  they  had  been  since  coming  on 
board  the  ''Elk/'  and  we  made  ready  to  go  ashore. 
We  were  out  in  deep  water,  still  some  distance  from 
the  beach,  and  must  again  get  out  into  a  small  boat, 
probably  for  the  last  time  this  year.  Not  all  could 
get  into  the  boat;  we  must  take  turns,  but  we  were 
bundled  into  it  some  way,  and  soon  we  were  upon 
the  sands,  a  dozen  feet  from  dry  land.  Again  we 
were  transferred  by  one  man  power,  as  at  Nome, 
to  the  sands,  which  were  here  frozen  quite  hard,  and 
upon  which  I  had  the  sensation,  at  first,  of  walking 
Avith  a  gunboat  attached  to  each  foot. 

Some  one  conducted  us  to  the  Mission  House, 
only  a  few  hundred  yards  from  our  landing  place, 
while  the  boat  went  back  to  the  "Elk"  for  the 
others.  Miss  E.,  who  had  come  up  on  the  *'St. 
Paul"  with  us,  and  now  the  housekeeper  here, 
came  running  out  to  welcome  all  cordially.  By  her 
we  were  shown  into  the  cozy  little  parlor,  so  tidy, 
bright  and'  warm  that  we  immediately  felt  our- 
selves again  in  civilization.    Soon  Mr.  H,,  the  head 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  i8i 

missionary,  whoiiii  I  bad  already  met  in  Nome, 
came  in  with  Miss  J.,  the  teacher  of  the  Mission 
cliildren.  She  also  had  spent  some  days  with  us  at 
Nome.  These  all  made  us  very  welcome,  and  our 
party  of  seven  was  soon  sitting  together  before  a 
good,  smoking  Hot  breakfast,  to  which  we  did  real 
justice. 

When  entering  the  house  I  had,  upon  first  re- 
moving my  wraps  and  "fascinator,"  given  my 
friends  another  surprise  equal  to  the  one  of  ihe 
muckluks  on  the  steamer.  The  day  before  leaving 
Nome  I  had  (surreptitiously  again)  made  a  visit  t ) 
the  hairdresser,  and  when  I  left  her  room  I  ap- 
peared another  woman.  ]\fy  head  now,  instead  of 
being  covered  with  long,  thin  hair,  done  up  hastily 
.*n  a  twist  at  the  back,  had  short  hair  and'  curled  all 
over,  a  great  improvement,  thev  all  voted,  when 
the  first  surprise  was  over. 

My  hair,  all  summer,  had  been  like  that  of  most 
women  when  first  in  Alaska,  falling  out  so  rapidly 
that  I  feared  total  baldness  if  somiething  was  not 
dbne  to  prevent.  This  was  the  only  sure  remedy 
for  the  trouble,  as  I  knew  from  former  experience, 
and  as  I  again  proved,  for  it  entirely  stopped  com- 
ing out.  Ricka  soon  followed  my  example,  and  we, 
with  Miss  J.,  who  had  been  relieved  of  her  hair  by 
fever  the  year  before,  made  almost  a  colony  of 
short-haired  women,  much  to  the  amusement  of 
some  of  our  party. 

After  v;e  had  eaten  our  breakfasts,  several  of  us 


1 82  Off  for  Golovin  Bay 

set  to  work  at  writing  letters  to  send  out  to  Nome 
by  the  "Elk,"  which  would  remain  a  few  hours  un- 
loading freight,  as  this  might  be  our  last  oppor- 
tunity for  many  weeks,or  until  the  winter  mails 
were  carried  by  dog-teams  over  the  trails.  We  fan- 
cied our  friends  on  the  outside  would  be  glad  to 
hear  that  we  had  arrived  safely  at  Golovin,  and  our 
pens  flew  rapidly  over  the  paper.  These  letters, 
finally  collected,  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  one 
of  the  "Elk's"  crew  for  mailing  at  Nome,  and  the 
steamer  sailed  away. 

Not  all,  however,  wrote  letters.  The  business 
head  of  the  "Star"  firm  had  not  been  idle,  nor  writ- 
ing letters,  and  while  I  wrote  Alma  was  deeply  en- 
gaged, well  seconded  by  Ricka  in  making  arrange- 
ments with  Mr.  H.  by  which  we  could  remain  in 
this  Mission  House  all  winter.  Before  noon  it  was 
decided  that  we  should  stay,  assisting  the  mission- 
aries all  in  our  power  until  such  time  as  they  could 
move  to  their  new  station,  as  soon  as  the  ice  was 
firm  enough  in  the  bay  to  travel  upon  and  the 
Home  was  far  enough  toward  completion.  It  was 
impossible  to  finish  the  building  now,  but  so  far  as 
practicable  it  would  be  made  habitable,  and  all 
necessary  and  movable  articles  of  furniture  would 
be  carried  to  the  Home,  though  many  large  pieces 
would  be  left  for  our  use. 

This  arrangement  included  our  party  of  seven, 
Mary  at  Nome,  ai>d  the  three  boys  at  work  at  this 
time  on  the  new  Home  building,  and   would   do 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  183 

away  with  all  necessity  for  building  a  cabin,  lumber 
being  expensive  and  good  logs  scarce. 

This  intelligence  came  just  in  time  for  insertion 
in  our  home  letters  sent  away  on  the  "Elk,"  and  it 
was  a  day  of  rejoicing  for  at  least  seven  persons 
(Miss  L.  was  to  go  to  the  Home,  but  Mary  was  to 
come  to  us  from  Nome)  who  already  considered 
themselves  a  "lucky  number," 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


LIFE  AT  GOLOVIN. 

^^  UR  first  duty  after  arriving  at  Golovin 
\^  was  to  look  up  our  freight,  which 
seemed  to  be  in  a  general  mix-up.  Each 
person  was  searching  on  the  beach 
and  in  the  warehouse  for  something. 
For  my  part,  I  was  greatly  concerned 
Qiver  the  probable  loss  of  a  case  of 
coal  oil,  and  a  box  containing  wool 
blankets,  feather  pillow,  and  other 
things  too  precious  to  lose  after  pay- 
ing freight,  especially  as  some  of  the  articles  could 
not  be  replaced,  and  all  were  useful  and  necessary. 
The  "Elk's"  crew  had  dumped  the  freight  pro- 
miscuously upon  the  frozen  sands,  considering 
their  duty  at  that  point  done,  and  no  assurance  was 
given  us  that  the  freight  was  all  there,  or  that  it 
was  in  good  condition.  The  risk  was  all  ours.  We 
could  find  it  or  lose  it — that  did  not  concern  the 
''Elk."  As  we  had  no  idea  as  to  the  honesty  of 
the  community  in  which  we  had  come  to  reside,  and 
little  confidence  in  some  of  the  "Elk's"  passengers 
who  were  also  receiving  freight,  we  visited  the 
beach  a  number  of  times  during  the  first  two  davs. 
While  at  Nome  and  packing  up  to  leave  I  had 
remembered  the  story  of  the  person,  who,  going  to 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  185 

market,  put  all  the  eggs  into  one  basket,  and  for 
that  reason,  when  an  accident  occurred,  she  lost 
the  whole  lot;  while,  if  she  had  placed  them  in  two 
baskets,  one-half  might  have  been  saved.  For  this 
reason  I  then  packed  my  blankets  in  two  boxes, 
and  now  as  one  was  missing  I  was  glad  I  had  done 
so,  for  to  be  entering  upon  a  cold,  long  winter 
vvithout  woolen  blankets  would  be  hard  lines  in- 
deed. 

The  first  day  was  spent  by  the  boys  in  hauling 
baggage  and  freight  into  the  old  schoolhouse, 
near  the  Mission,  which  was  to  be  our  storeroom 
for  a  time.  This  building  was  made  of  logs,  sod, 
and  mud  plaster,  with  small  doors  and  windows, 
and  thatched  roof,  now  overgrown  with  grass  and 
weeds. 

It  had  long  been  deserted,  or  given  over  to 
storing  purposes,  as  the  new  school  and  church 
building  was  put  up  alongside,  and  was  being  used 
at  the  present  time.  We  would  unpack  as  little  as 
possible,  while  the  Mission  family  remained,  as  their 
house  was  too  small  to  accommodate  comfortably 
so  many.  Mr.  H.  was  like  the  old  man  who  lived 
in  a  shoe,  for  he  really  had  such  a  family  that  he 
was  puzzled  as  to  what  disposition  he  should  make 
of  them.  However,  the  men  were  all  lodged  in  the 
new  school  building,  as  it  was  vacation  time,  and 
no  session;  trunks  and  baggage,  except  bedding, 
were  put  in  the  storehouse. 

The  Eskimo  children  and  the  women  occupied 


i86  Life  at  Golovin 

the  second  floor  of  the  Mission.  Mr.  H.  had  his 
room  on  the  first  floor,  oftentimes  shared  with 
some  visiting  missionary  or  friend,  and  I  was  the 
best  lodged  of  all.  The  big  velvet  couch  in  the  sit- 
ting-room by  the  fire  was  allotted  to  me,  and  I 
slept  luxuriously,  as  well  as  comfortably.  The 
newest  and  most  modern  article  of  furniture  in  the 
establishment,  this  couch,  was  soft,  wide,  and  in  a 
warm,  cozy  corner  of  the  room. 

From  being  lodged  above  a  bar-room  in  Nome, 
I  had  come  to  a  parlor  in  the  Mission,  and  I  was 
well  pleased  with  the  changed  atmosphere,  as  well 
as  the  reduction  of  charges;  for,  whereas  I  had  paid 
five  dollars  per  week  for  my  small  unfurnished 
room  there,  I  now  paid  nothing,  except  such  help 
as  I  could  give  the  women  in  the  house. 

I  felt,  too,  that  I  had  earned,  by  my  hard  work, 
during  the  summer,  all  the  rest  and  comfort  I  could 
get,  and  I  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  change.  Where 
among  the  drones  and  laggards  is  one  who  can  find 
such  sweets  as  well-earned  rest  and  comfort  after 
labor?  What  satisfaction  to  feel  the  joy  all  one's 
own.  None  assisted  in  the  earning,  and  conse- 
quently none  expected  a  division  of  reward.  It  was 
all  my  own.  If  this  is  selfishness,  it  is  surely  a  re- 
fined sort,  and  excusable. 

I  was  not,  however,  the  only  one  in  the  Mission 
who  enjoyed  a  well-earned  rest.  Each  one  of  our 
party  of  seven  had  worked  for  months  as  hard 
and  harder  than  I,  and  all  found  a  vacation  as  pleas- 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  187 

ing,  while  the  Mission  people  had  the  same  round 
of  yi^ork  and  as  much  as  they  could  accomplish  all 
the  year  round. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  at  Golovin  was  Sunday. 
The  weather  was  clear  and  sunny,  but  cold.  We 
were  now  not  only  to  have  a  vacation  ourselves,  but 
could  give  our  working  clothes  a  rest  as  well,  and 
I  took  great  pleasure  in  unearthing  a  good  black 
dress  which  was  not  abbreviated  as  to  length,  sur- 
prising my  friends  by  my  height,  after  being  in 
short  skirts  so  long.  It  was  really  Sunday  now 
and  we  wore  our  Sunday  clothes  for  the  first  time 
in  months,  not  having  had  an  opportunity  for  Sab- 
bath observance  in  the  work  we  had  done  at  Nome. 

To  complete  our  enjoyment  of  the  good  day, 
there  was  the  organ  in  the  sitting  room,  and  upon 
my  first  entering  the  room,  and  seeing  the  instru- 
ment I  had  drawn  a  deep  sigh  of  inward  delight. 
To  find  an  organ,  yes,  two  of  them,  for  there  was 
also  one  standing  in  the  school-room,  or  little 
church,  was  to  feel  sure  of  many  bright  and  happy 
hours  during  the  coming  winter,  and  I  felt  more 
than  ever  that  for  strangers  in  the  Arctic  world  we 
were,  indeed,  highly  favored. 

It  was  not  long  before  I  discovered  that  with  at 
least  two  of  our  party  of  seven  music  was  a  passion, 
for  Ricka,  as  well  as  Mr.  B.,  could  never  have 
enough,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  the  real  and 
unaffected  delight  upon  their  faces  when  I  played. 
We  were  really  quite  well  supplied  with  musical  in- 


i88  Life  at  Qolovin 

struments,  for  there  were  now  in  the  Mission  two 
guitars,  one  mandoUn,  a  violin  and  a  few  harmon- 
icas, besides  the  two  organs,  while  as  for  vocalists 
everybody  sang  from  Mr.  H.  down  to  the  Eskimo 
boys,  girls  and  the  baby. 

But  this  day's  climax  was  the  three  o'clock  din- 
ner, prepared  by  Miss  E.  Could  anything  be  more 
restful  to  three  tired  restaurant  workers  than  to  sit 
quietly  in  easy  chairs,  allow  others  to  prepare  the 
meal  and  invite  them  to  partake,  without  having 
given  a  thought  to  the  preparation  of  the  same, 
gaining,  as  we  did,  a  knowledge  of  what  was  com- 
ing only  by  the  pleasant  odors  proceeding  from  the 
kitchen?  Certainly  not,  and  the  increased  appetite 
that  comes  with  this  rest  is  only  a  part  of  the  en- 
joyment. So  when  we  were  seated  at  the  table  on 
Sunday,  the  second  day  of  our  arrival  at  Golovin, 
before  us  fresh  roast  mutton,  baked  potatoes, 
stewed  tomatoes,  coffee,  bread  and  butter,  with 
pickles,  and  a  most  delicious  soup  made  of  dried 
prunes,  apricots,  raisins  and  tapioca  for  dessert,  we 
were  about  the  happiest  people  in  Alaska  and  ap- 
preciated it  immensely.  What  bread  Miss  E.  did 
make,  with  slices  as  large  as  saucers,  not  too  thin, 
snowy,  but  fresh  and  sweet.  What  coffee  from  the 
big  pot,  with  Eagle  brand  cream  from  the  pint  can 
having  two  small  holes  in  the  top,  one  to  admit  air 
and  the  other  to  let  the  cream  out.  Nothing  had 
tasted  so  good  to  us  since  we  had  come  home,  as 
hungry  children,  from  school.     As  then,  we  were 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  189 

care-free,  if  only  for  a  little  while,  and  we  were  a 
jolly,  happy  crowd. 

In  the  evening,  when  the  children  were  once  in 
bed,  we  all  gathered  in  the  sitting-room  for  music, 
stories  and  plans  for  the  future,  including  the  plac- 
ing of  a  few  new  strings  on  the  musical  instruments 
and  tuning  of  the  same.  Mr.  H.  had  gone  to  the 
Home  the  afternoon  before,  so  there  had  been  no 
preaching  service  as  ordinarily  in  the  little  school- 
house  across  the  road.  The  boys  were  talking  of 
going  to  the  Home  across  the  bay  next  day  in  a 
boat,  but  a  wind  came  up  which  finally  developed 
into  a  stout  southwester,  and  Monday  was  a  most 
disagreeable  day.  Alma  worked  on  a  fur  cap,  to 
practise,  she  said,  on  some  one  before  making  her 
own,  Ricka  mended  mittens  and  other  garments 
for  the  boys,  while  I  sewed  on  night  clothes  for 
the  little  Eskimo  baby. 

The  child  was  probably  between  three  and  four 
years  old,  but  nobody  knew  exactly,  for  she  was 
picked  up  on  the  beach,  half  dead,  a  year  before, 
by  the  missionary,  where  she  was  dying  of  neglect. 
Her  mother  was  dead,  and  her  grandfather  was 
giving  her  the  least  attention  possible,  so  that  she 
was  sickly,  dirtv  and  starved.  She  had  well  repaid 
the  kind  people  who  took  her  into  the  Mission, 
being  now  fat  and  healthy,  as  well  as  quite  intelli- 
gent. She  was  a  real  pet  with  all  the  women  im- 
mediately, being  the  youngest  of  this  brood  of 
twenty  youngsters,  and  having  many  cunning  little 


ipo  Life  at  Qolovin 

ways.  In  appearance  she  looked  like  a  Japanese, 
as,  in  fact,  all  Eskimos  do,  having  straight  black 
hair,  and  eyes  shaped  much  like  those  of  these  peo- 
ple, while  all  are  short  and  thick  of  stature,  with 
few  exceptions. 

Among  this  score  of  little  natives  there  were 
some  who  were  very  bright.  All  were  called  by 
English  names,  and  Peter,  John,  Mary,  Ellen  and 
Susan,  as  well  as  Garfield,  Lincoln  and  George 
Washington,  with  many  others,  became  familiar 
household  words,  though  the  two  last  named  were 
grown  men,  and  now  gone  out  from  the  Mission 
into  houses  of  their  own. 

As  to  the  dressing  of  these  children,  it  was  also  in 
English  fashion,  except  for  boots,  which  were  al- 
ways muckluks,  and  parkies  of  fur  for  outside  gar- 
ments, including,  perhaps,  drill  parkies  for  mild 
weather,  or  to  pull  on  over  the  furs,  when  it  rained 
or  snowed,  to  keep  out  the  water.  As  the  weather 
grew  more  severe,  heavy  cloth  or  fur  mittens  were 
worn,  and  little  calico  and  gingham  waists  and 
dresses  were  discarded  for  flannel  ones. 

The  children,  for  weeks  after  our  arrival,  ran  out 
often  to  play,  bareheaded  and  without  wraps,  hav- 
ing frequently  to  be  ren>inded  when  the  weather 
was  severe,  to  put  them  on.  In  the  kitchen  they 
had  their  own  table,  where  they  were  separately 
served,  though  at  the  same  time  as  their  elders  at 
another  table  in  the  room.  To  preserve  the  health 
of  the  little  ones,  not  taking  entirely  away  their  na- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  191 

tive  foods  of  seal  meat  and  oil,  tom-cod  (small  fish), 
reindeer  meat  and  wild  game,  these  were  fed  to 
them  on  certain  days  of  the  week,  as  well  as  other 
native  dishes  dear  to  the  Eskimo  palate,  but  they 
were  well  fed  at  all  times,  and  grew  fat  and  hearty 
as  well  as  happy. 

As  we  sewed  contentedly  in  the  sitting-room  on 
Monday  the  storm  continued,  snowing  and  blowing 
a  gale  from  the  southwest,  which,  though  not  dis- 
turbing us  even  slightly,  we  felt  sure  would  be  bad 
for  those  at  sea  and  at  Nome;  our  own  experiences 
at  that  place  giving  us  always  a  large  sympathy  for 
others  in  similar  plight.  Long  afterwards  we 
learned  that  in  this  storm  the  "Elk"  had  been  blown 
ashore  at  Nome,  and  was  pretty  thoroughly  dis- 
abled, if  not  entirely  wrecked,  and  we  wondered 
if  poor  cook  Jim  had  "done  been  mighty  busy,  sah, 
gittiin'  tings  fixed"  ever  since. 

When  evening  came  the  children  and  Baby  Bes- 
sie were  put  to  bed;  work,  indoors  and  out,  was 
finished  for  that  day,  and  we  were  twelve  in  the 
sitting-room,  as  merry  a  crowd  as  one  could  find 
in  all  Alaska.  Miss  J.  had  taken  a  lesson  on  the 
organ  in  the  afternoon  and  was  all  interested  in 
making  progress  on  that  instrument,  assuring  her 
friends  who  declared  she  would  never  practise  her 
lessons,  that  she  certainly  would  do  so,  as  they 
would  afterwards  learn. 

The  winds  might  sigh  and  moan,  and  whirl  the 
falling  snow  in  the  darkness  as  they  liked;   waters 


192  Life  at  Qolovin 

congeal  under  the  fingers  of  the  frost  king,  closing 
the  mouth  of  innumerable  creeks,  rivers  and  bays; 
but  here  under  cover  we  had  light,  health,  warmth 
and  food,  without  a  single  care.  In  my  cozy,  soft 
bed  under  the  blankets,  the  firelight  playing  on  the 
walls,  the  fine  organ  open  and  ready  for  use,  I  lay 
often  with  wide  open  eyes,  wondering  if  I  were  my- 
self or  another. 

In  one  corner  of  the  room  stood  a  case  contain- 
ing books  enough  to  supply  us  with  reading  matter 
for  a  year,  those  printed  in  Swedish  being,  of 
course,  of  no  use  to  me,  but  a  variety  of  subjects 
were  here  presented  in  English,  ranging  from 
Drummond's  "Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual 
World"  to  nursery  rhymes  for  the  children.  Vol- 
luiies  on  medicine,  law,  science,  travels,  stories, 
ethics  and  religion — all  were  here  for  the  instruc- 
tion and  edification  of  inmates  of  the  Mission.  In 
another  corner  there  was  a  large  case  of  medicines, 
and  here  were  remedies  in  powders,  liquids,  salves 
and  pills,  drawers  filled  with  lint,  bandages,  cotton, 
and  books  of  instruction  teaching  the  uses  of  all. 
Even  surgical  in-struments  were  found  here,  as  well 
as  appliances  for  emergencies,  from  broken  and 
frozen  limbs,  mad-dog  bites,  and  "capital  opera- 
tions," to  a  scratched  finger  or  the  nose-bleed. 

This  outfit  was  for  the  use  of  any  and  all,  with- 
out charge,  who  should  be  so  unfortunate  as  to 
require  assistance  of  this  sort  in  this  region.  With- 
out money  and  without  price,  the  only  case  of  rem- 


\ 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  193 

edies  for  many  miles  around,  this  Mission  provided 
for  all  suffering  ones  who  applied,  and  during  the 
winter  many  were  relieved  and  assisted  toward  re- 
covery. 

In  the  third  corner  of  this  room  stood  the  large 
cabinet  organ,  nearly  new,  and  in  good  condition. 
Instruction  books,  hymnals,  "Gospel  Hymns," 
small  collections  of  words  without  music,  Swedish 
songs — all  were  here  in  abundance. 

The  fourth  corner  contained  my  couch-bed.  A 
heating  stove,  made  of  sheet  iron,  a  t;ible  with  its 
pretty  spread,  a  large  student  lamp,  easy  chairs,  a 
pretty  ingrain  rug  covering  the  floor,  window 
shades  and.  lace  curtains,  with  pictures  and  Scrip- 
ture texts  upon  the  wall,  completed  the  room  fur- 
nishings, making  a  homely  place,  which  for  years 
had  been  a  haven  of  refuge  for  the  homeless  Es- 
kimo children.  Besides  these,  it  had  given  food, 
vshelter  and  clothing  to  many  a  white-faced  wan- 
derer, who  came  penniless,  hungry  and  cold,  per- 
haps ill  and  starving. 

About  seven  years  before  this  unpretending,  now 
weather-beaten  house  had  been  erected,  and  the 
kindly  little  dark-eyed  man  put  in  charge  was  at 
once  at  home.  He  was  blessed  with  rare  versa- 
tility and  patience,  as  well  as  a  great  heart  of  love 
for  all  mankind,  including  the  dark-sk^inned,  seal- 
eating  races  of  the  Arctic. 

From  a  door-latch  to  a  babv's  cradle,  from  a  log 
house  to  a  sail-boat  rigged  with  runners  on  thie 
ice,  he  planned,  contrived  and  ex-^cuted,  principally 


194  Life  at  Qolovin 

for  others,  for  years.  Here  we  found,  in  one  room, 
from  his  hands  a  bedstead,  a  table,  and  a  wash- 
stand  commode,  all  made  in  white  wood,  of  regula- 
tion size,  shape  and  pattern,  though  without 
paint  or  staining.  Relegated  now  to  an  upper 
room,  since  the  velvet  couch  had  arrived,  was  a 
long,  wooden  settle,  with  backs,  ends  and  sliding 
seat,  the  latter  to  be  pushed  forward  upon  legs  and 
made  into  double  bed  at  night. 

One  day  in  the  winter,  when  searching  for  open 
places  under  the  roof  through  which  the  snow  was 
sifting,  wetting  the  ceiling  of  the  room  below,  I 
found  in  the  attic  a  number  of  curious  things,  and 
among  them  a  child's  cradle.  Not  all  the  thought 
of  the  good  man  had  been  given  to  the  needs  of 
the  "grown-ups,"  but  the  small,  weak  and  helpless 
ones  of  his  f^ock  had  received  their  equal  share  of 
attention.  The  cradle  was  well  made  with  soHd 
high  sides  and  ends,  and  curved  upper  edges, 
swinging  low  and  easilv  upon  its  two  strong  rock- 
ers. All  was  smooth,  well  finished,  and  rounded, 
though  there  was  no  paint  nor  varnish,  these  arti 
cles  being  doubtless  unprocurable,  and  not  deemed 
strictly  essential.  Near  by  were  the  remnants  of  a 
white  fox  robe  fitting  the  cradle.  It  was  made  of 
baby  fox  skin,  fine,  soft  and  pretty.  A  flannel  lin- 
ing with  a  pinked-out  edge  completed  what  had 
once  been  a  lovely  cover  for  baby,  whether  with 
white  face  or  black,  and  I  fell  to  wishing  I  might 
have  seen  the  complete  outfiit  in  its  former  days. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  195 

From  the  rafters  of  the  attic  hung  articles  of 
wearing  apparel  of  curious  make  and  pattern, 
sometimes  of  skins  of  the  wild  reindeer  or  spoite.i 
seal  Of  old  mittens  and  muckluks  there  w.re 
numbers,  still  preserved  for  the  good  they  had 
done  or  might  yet  do  at  piecing  out  somewhere. 
There  were  things  for  which  I  had  not  yet  learnel 
the  uses,  but  might  do  so  before  the  cold  winter 
had  passed.  There  were  also  many  fur  skins,  and 
new  articles  of  value  stored  in  the  attic. 

Tuesday,  October  twenty-third,  the  weather  w.  s 
not  cold,  but  snow  fell  part  of  the  day,  and  it  grew 
dark  about  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon.  Tb.e 
gale  of  Monday  had  subsided,  and  the  sky  was 
overcast.  The  stear/er  "Saidie"  of  the  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Company  surprised  us  by  coming  into 
Golovin,  and  again  suddenly  we  fell  to  letter  writing 
in  order  to  send  them  out  by  her,  remaining  sev- 
eral hours  as  she  always  did  to  unload  freighi:  and 
baggage,  for  this  would  positively  be  our  last 
steamer.  Outside  the  boys  worked  as  industriously 
as  we  women.  In  the  old  log-house,  a  hundred  feci; 
from  our  door,  was  the  building  now  used  for  a 
wood-shed.  Here,  upon  a  big  "double-decker" 
saw-buck,  two  of  the  boys,  with  the  big  saw  be- 
tween them,  worked  away,  hour  after  hour,  at  the 
great  logs  of  driftwood  brought  from  the  beach,  as 
this  was  the  only  kind  of  fuel  here  used,  and  much 
was  needed  for  the  winter  fires. 

When  T  had  finished  my  work  of  sewing,  and  it 


196  Life  at  Qolovin 

grew  too  dark  to  thread  needles,  between  thait  hour 
and  the  one  for  the  lamp  lighting,  I  was  usually 
seated  at  the  organ,  and  our  music  was  not  all 
Hymns  from  the  Hymnals,  certainly.  There  were 
marches  and  polkas,  and  sprightly  waltzes,  too,  and 
nothing  was  ever  tabooed,  though  these  classic 
selections  were  always  omitted  on  Sunday.  None 
ever  minded  how  long  I  sat  at  the  organ,  or  how 
many  times  a  day  a  certain  piece  was  played,  and 
a  few  could  never  be  sated;  but  I  took  good  care 
that  my  work  never  lagged,  and  a  duty  was  never 
neglected  for  such  pleasure,  thereby  making  it  al- 
v/ays  the  recreation  and  enjoyable  exercise  it  was 
intended  to  be  and  not  tiresome. 

Miss  J.  now  took  a  lesson  on  the  instrument  each 
(lay  for  a  half  hour  after  ihe  lamps  were  lighted, 
and  as  she  had  already  had  a  few  lessons,  and  could 
play  a  few  hymns,  she  was  much  interested  in 
acquiring  a  further  knowledge  which  would  be 
helpful  in  church  and  Sunday  school  services.  Miss 
E.,  too,  thought  of  beginning  lessons  if  she  could 
find  tim>e  from  her  manifold  duties  as  house-mother 
of  the  numerous  flock,  and  did  take  a  few  lessons 
before  they  moved  away. 

In  the  evening  there  was  always  sins:ing.  ^^cw* 
some  were  sure  to  be  present  then,  who  had  been 
absent  during  the  day.  Perhaps  Mr.  H.  had  ar- 
rived with  a  Christian  native  from  the  Home,  to 
spend  the  night  before  going  back  on  the  morrow, 
with  supplies  of  some  sort  for  the  completion  of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  197 

his  new  house.  He  now  headed  the  two  estabUsh- 
ments  and  vibrated  between  them,  simply  camping 
at  the  new  pilace  and  enjoying  everything  of  home 
Hfe  possible  in  the  Alission.  At  jokes  and  repartee 
he  was  as  good  as  the  best  of  them,  and  always  en- 
joyed a  laugh  like  the  youngest. 

A  level  fhead  and  firm  hand  had  this  Swedish  mis^ 
sionary  of  long  experience.  For  a  dozen  or  more 
years  at  Yakutat,  in  Southern  Alaska,  where  he  had 
done  invaluable  work  for  that  Mission,  he  had 
come  about  two  years  before  to  Golovin  Bay,  and 
now  had,  besides  the  Eskimo  children  in  that  place, 
over  four  hundred  government  reindeer  in  charge. 
For  these  he  kept  a  number  of  experienced  and 
trusty  native  drivers,  and  these  either  lived  in  his 
Mission  or  with  their  families  near  at  hand,  as  a 
few  of  them  now  were  married. 

This  herd  of  animals  was  kept  upon  the  hills 
where  the  reindeer  moss  grew  in  plenty,  for  they 
could  not,  and  would  not,  eat  anything  else  if  they 
literally  starved  to  death,  and  they  were  now  five 
miles  away.  To  remove  this  great  family  of  a 
score  and  more  with  their  belongings  over  the  ice, 
a  distance  of  twelve  miles  in  winter  by  dog-team, 
getting  settled  in  a  large  frame  building,  un- 
plastered,  and  UDOn  a  bleak,  unprotected  shore, 
was  an  undertaking  which  would  have  discouraged 
most  men;  especially  as  a  shipload  of  needed  sup- 
plies for  their  new  Home,  including  furniture,  had 
been  lost  at  sea,  leaving  them  short  of  many  such 


198  Life  at  Qolovin 

necessities.  But  this  was  not  all.  The  whole  rein- 
deer herd  and  their  drivers,  with  their  several  fam- 
ilies, were  also  to  be  moved  near  the  new  Home, 
and  to  fresh  moss  pastures. 

Near  the  Home  was  a  good-sized  creek  of  fresh 
and  pure  water,  which  ran  sing'ing-  along-  through 
the  hills  to  the  ocean,  and  for  this  reason  the  site 
had  l)een  selected  and  built  upon. 


I 


I 


CHAPTEB.  XV. 


MriNT£R  IN  THE  MISSION. 


HE  first  few  garments  I  made  {or 
*¥*  Little  Bessie  were  not  a  ijreat  success. 
I  had  told  Miss  E.  that  I  woulJ  bj  de- 
lighted to  assist  her  in  any  way  that  I 
could,  never  dreaming  what  would 
r.ome;  and  she  being  more  in  need  of 
warm  clothitng  for  the  children  than 
anything  else,  with  rolls  of  uncut  flan- 
nels, and  baskets  piled  high  with  ma- 
terials to  be  made  into  underwear,  said 
immediately  that  I  might  help  with  their  sewing. 

She  then  brought  a  piece  of  Canton  flannel,  and 
the  shears,  and  put  them  into  my  hands,  sayilng  that 
r  might  make  two  pairs  of  night-trousers  for  the 
baby.  My  heart  sank  within  mc  in  a  momemt.  I 
made  a  desperate  effort  to  collect  myself,  however, 
and  quietly  asked  if  she  had  a  pattern.  No,  she 
had  none.  The  child,  she  said,  kicked  the  cover 
ofif  her  in  the  night  sO'  often,  and  the  weather  was 
growing  so  cold,  that  she  and  Miss  J.  thought  a 
garment  of  the  tronser  description,  taking  in  the 
feet  at  the  same  time,  would'  very  well  answer  her 
needs,  and  this  I  was  requested  to  originate,  pat- 
tern and  all.  Whatever  should  I  do?  I  could 
more  easily  have  climbed  Mt.  McKinley!     If  she 


200  Winter  in  the  Mission 

had  told  me  to  concoct  a  new  pudding,  write  an 
essay,  or  make  a  trip  to  Kotzebue,  I  should  not 
have  been  so  much  dismayed;  but  to  make  a  gar- 
ment like  that,  out  of  "whole  cloth,"  so  to  speak, 
from  my  own  design — ^that  was  really  an  utter  im- 
possibility, 

"O.  well,"  she  said,  "I  am  sure  you  can  do  th'.s 
well  enough.  It  is  not  such  a  very  particular  job; 
just  make  something  in  which  to  keep  the  child 
warm  nights,  you  know.  That  is  all  I  care  for," 
kindly  added  she,  as  she  closed  the  door  behind 
her  and  went  back  to  the  kitchen. 

Finally  I  appealed  to  Alma.  She  was  busy. 
She  had  never  cut  out  anything  of  the  sort,  neither 
had  Ricka  nor  Miss  L.,  but  I,  being  a  married 
woman,  was  supposed  to  have  a  superior  knowledge 
of  all  such  things.  I  admitted  that  I  might  have  a 
theory  on  the  subject,  but  a  "working  hypothesis," 
alas,  I  had  none. 

Still  I  hung  around  Alma,  who  was  an  expert 
dressmaker  of  years'  standing  in  San  Francisco. 

"No,  I  can't  cut  them  out,  really;  but  why  don't 
you  make  a  pattern  from  some  garment  on  hand?" 

Here  was  an  idea.    Something  to  build  upon. 

"But  there  are  the  feet,  and  the  waist?"  I  said, 
still  anxiously. 

"O,  build  them  on  to  your  pattern,"  she  said 
carelessly;  as  if  anyone  with  half  an  eye  and  one 
hand  could  do  that  sort  of  building,  and  she  left 
ihc  room  for  more  important  matters. 

There  was  nothing  else  for  me  to  do.    I  secured 


I 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  201 

a  suit  of  the  baby's  clothing  throughout,  and,  tak- 
ing the  cloth,  the  shears,  and  an  odd  rtewspaper, 
1  went  upstairs  to  Aliss  J.'s  room  and  closed  the 
door.  I  wanted  to  be  alone.  I  longed  to  have 
my  dear  old  mother  there  for  just  one  short  hjur, 
for  in  that  time  I  felt  certain  she  would  have  cut 
out  these  as  well  as  other  garments,  enough  to 
keep  us  for  weeks  sewing,  as  her  own  babies  had 
kept  her  at  one  time. 

However,  there  was  no  help  for  me,  and  I  went 
to  work.  For  an  hour  I  cut  and  whittled  on  that 
old  newspaper,  along  with  a  number  of  others,  be- 
fore I  got  a  pattern  that  I  fancied  might  do. 
Then  I  submitted  it  to  Miss  J.  herself,  who  told  me 
to  go  ahead  and  cut  it  out.  It  appeared  all  r  ght, 
«o  far  as  she  could  see.  Then  I  cut,  and  basted, 
and  tried  the  garment  on  Bessie.  It  was  too  wid: 
across  the  chest,  too  short  in  the  legs,  and  the  feet 
were  monstrosities.  What  was  to  be  done,  I  asked 
of  the  others? 

"Make  new  feet,  and  sew  tliem  on  around  the 
ankle,"  said  Miss  J.,  thoughtfully,  surveying  her 
little  charge  from  all  sides,  as  the  child  stood  first 
on  one  foot,  then  on  the  other,  "then  you  cm 
lengthen  the  legs  a  little  if  you  want  to,"  careful  not 
to  ofYend  by  criticisng  abruptly,  but  still  feeling 
that  the  height  of  the  gearing  should  be  increased. 
''Dear  me,  that's  easy  enough,''  suggested  Alma, 
"just  put  a  wide  box  plait  down  the  front,  like  that 
in  a  shirtwaist,  and  it  will  be  all  right." 


Winter  in  the  Mission 


"The  back  can  be  taken  out  in  the  placket,"  and 
Ricka  'olded  and  lapped  the  cloth  on  the  little 
child's  shoulders,  and  then  we  called  j\Iiss  E.  from 
the  kitchen.  After  making  a  few  sugs?estions  in  a 
very  conservative  way,  as  if  they  did  not  come 
readily  because  the  garment  was  just  about  right; 
she  left  the  loom  hastily,  saying  her  bread  wouM 
burn  in  the  oven;  and  I  thought  I  heard  her  gig- 
gling with  Miss  L.  in  Swedish  until  she  ran  away 
out  into  the  woodshed,  ostensibly  for  an  armful  of 
wood;  though  if  her  bread  were  already  burning  1 
wondered  what  she  wanted  of  more  fire. 

1  did  not  blame  her;  I  laughed,  too.  The 
little  child  looked  exceedingly  funny  as  she  stood 
there  in  that  wonderful  garm.ent,  with  black  eyes 
shining  like  beads,  and  face  perfectly  unsmiling,  as 
she  nearly  always  looks,  wondering  why  it  was  we 
were  laughing. 

October  twenty-fourth  the  boys  worked  all  day  at 
making  the  house  more  comfortable  for  winter, 
nailing  tar  paper  upon  the  north  side,  where  some 
clapboards  were  massing,  putting  on  storm  or 
double  windows  outside  of  the  others,  and  filling 
the  cracks  with  putty.  A  couple  of  the  bovs  also 
worked  at  hauling  supplies  of  apples  and  ]DOtatoes 
from  the  warehouse  by  dog-team,  putting  the  eat- 
ables into  the  cellar  under  the  kitchen,  whidi  was 
well  packed  in  with  hay.  This  cellar  was  a  rude 
one,  and  in  summer  frequently  filled  with  water 
from   Ihc   surface   and   the   hill    above   the   house, 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  203 

making  it  not  altogether  wholesome  at  times,  but 
by  management,  it  was  still  Being  used  for  some 
things,  and  of  course,  in  cold  weather,  it  made  no 
difference,  for  everything  was  solidly  frozen. 

Snow  enough  had  fallen  by  this  time,  a  little 
''oming  quietly  down  every  few  hours,  to  make  fai^' 
roads  for  the  sleds,  the  ground  being  quite  hard; 
while  Fish  River  and  adjoining  creeks  were  fast 
freezing  over,  as  were  also  the  waters  of  the  bay. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  H.  came  in,  and  we  all 
gathered  in  the  sitting  room,  some  sewing,  some 
mending,  but  all  chatting  pleasantly.  The  mis- 
sionary had  just  been  informed,  he  told  us,  of  a 
gold  -trike  on  the  Kuskokquim  River,  some  one 
having  only  recently  returned  from  St.  Michael, 
and  brought  the  report.  From  that  place  men 
were  leaving  for  the  new  diggings  each  day,  and  it 
might  or  might  not  prove  a  bona  fide  strike.  With 
reindeer,  on  a  good  winter  trail,  this  distance  would 
not  be  a  formidable  trip,  Mr.  H.  told  us. 

This  was  the  information  we  wanted  to  hear,  and 
it  probably  started  a  train  of  golden  dreams  that 
night  in  more  than  one  head,  which  was  long  in 
stepping,  especially  when  he  informed  us  that 
every  acre  of  land  around  us  was  then  staked  out 
in  quartz  claims,  though  no  extensive  prospecting 
had  yet  been  done,  and  we  were  pleased  at  finding 
ourselves  "so  near"  even  though  we  were  "yet  so 
far." 

Today  was  a  birthday  for  Mr.  G.,  and  he  was 


204  Winter  in  the  Mission 

teased  unmercifully  for  his  age,  but  would  not  give 
it,  so  those  who  had  known  him  the  longest  tried 
their  best  to  figure  it  out  from  incidents  in  his  life 
and  from  narratives  of  his  own,  and  made  it  out  to 
their  satisfaction  as  about  thirty-two  years,  though 
he  refused  (like  a  woman)  to  the  very  last,  to  tell 
them  if  they  were  guessing  correctly. 

The  next  day  it  still  snowed  a  little  ac  mtervals 
between  clouds  and  sunshine,  and  all  "tenderfeet" 
Avere  more  comfortable  indoors.  Miss  E.  and 
Ricka  had  gone  the  day  before  with  the  boys  and 
Mr.  H.  to  the  Home  on  a  scow-load  of  lumber, 
though  we  feared  it  was  pretty  cold  for  them  with- 
out shelter  on  the  water;  but  with  the  wind  in  the 
right  direction,  they  wanted  to  attempt  it,  and  so 
started.  They  were  to  look  the  new  building  over 
for  the  first  time,  Miss  E.  being  much  interested  in 
the  inside  arrangement  of  rooms,  naturally,  as  it 
was  to  be  her  home  and  field  of  labor,  and  rightly 
thinking  a  womanly  suggestion,  perhaps,  might 
make  the  kitchens  more  handy. 

In  their  absence  the  rest  of  us  continued  our 
tewing.  Miss  L.  taking  Miss  E.'s  place  in  the 
kitchen,  with  help  from  the  larger  Eskimo  girls  at 
dish  washing.  The  latter  were  docile  and  smiling 
and  one  little  girl  called  Ellen  was  always  excee  1- 
ingly  careful  lo  put  each  cup  and'  saucer,  s^)(  on 
and  dish  in  its  proper  place  after  drying  it,  showing 
a  commendable  systematic  instinct,  which  Miss'  E. 
was  trying  to  foster. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  205 

Between  times,  their  school  not  yet  being  in  ses- 
sion, they  played  about,  either  up  in  their  rooms  if 
it  was  too  stormy  outside,  or  out  of  doors  if  the 
weather  permitted;  though,  for  that  matter,  they 
seldom  hesitated  to  do  anything  they  wished  on 
account  of  the  weather,  as  it  was  not  so  cold  to 
the  natives  as  to  us.  They  played  with  balls,  both 
large  and  small,  and  sleds  of  all  descriptions;  and 
If  the  latter  were  not  to  be  had,  or  all  in  use,  a 
barrel  stave  or  board  would  be  made  to  answer  the 
same  purpose.  It  was  a  rush  past  the  window 
down  the  hill,  first  by  a  pair  of  muckluked  feet,  then 
a  barrel  stave  and  a  boy,  sometimes  little  Pete,  and 
sometimes  John.  One  barrel  stave  would  hold 
only  one  coaster,  and  there  were  usually  enough 
for  the  boys,  but  if  by  chance  the  little  girls  laid 
hands  upon  the  sleds  before  they  did,  the  staves 
v^'cre  then  their  only  resource.  If  a  child  rolled, 
by  accident,  upon  the  ground,  it  never  seemed  to 
matter,  for  in  furs  he  was  well  protected.  The  snow 
was  soft,  and  he,  being  as  much  at  home  there  as 
anywhere,  seemed  rather  to  like  it. 

If  he  was  seen  to  fall,  it  was  the  signal  for  some 
other  to  roll  and  tumble  him,  keeping  him  under  as 
long  as  possible,  and  it  was  a  frequent  sight  to  see 
three  or  four  small  boys  tumbling  about  like  kit- 
tens, locked  in  each  other's  arms,  and  all  kicking 
and  shouting  good-naturedly.  Snowballing,  too, 
was  their  delight,  and  their  balls  were  not  always 


3o6  Winter  in  the  fllssion 

velvety,  either,  as  the  one  stopping  its  course  could 
affirm. 

These  children  did  little  quarrelling.  I  cannot 
remember  seeing  Eskimo  boys  angry  or  fighting, 
a  thing  quite  noticeable  among  them,  for  nowhere 
in  the  world,  perhaps,  could  the  same  number  of 
white  children  be  found  living  so  quietly  and  har- 
moniously together  as  did  these  twelve  little  dark- 
faced  Eskimos  in  the  Mission. 

Our  days  were  now  growing  much  shorter,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  light  the  lamps  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  the  sun  having  set  some  time  be- 
fore. The  sunset  skies  were  lovely  in  bright  and 
tender  colors,  reflecting  themselves  as  they  did  in 
the  water  of  the  bay,  and  tinting  delicately  all  sur- 
rounding hilltops.  What  a  beautiful  sight  it  was, 
and  how  sadly  we  remembered  that  very  soon  tlie 
water  would  have  disappeared  under  the  solid  ice, 
there  to  remain  for  long  months  imprisoned.  Little 
did  we  then  know  that  the  heavenly  beauty  of  the 
Arctic  sky  is  never  lacking,  but  close  upon  the  de- 
parture of  one  season,  another,  no  less  beautiful, 
takes  its  place. 

Diary  of  October  twenty-sixth:  Alma  and  I 
called  today  upon  two  neighbors  in  the  old  school- 
house  next  the  church,  by  name  Dr.  H.  and  wife. 
They  claim  to  have  come  from  Dawson  not  very 
long  ago,  being  shipwrecked  on  the  way,  and  losing 
their  outfit.  She  seems  a  chatty,  pleasant  little  body, 
and  inclined  to  make  the  best  of  everything,  her 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  207 

hard  lot  included,  and  she  is  baking  and  selling 
bread  to  the  miners.  She  is  a  brave  little  woman, 
and  could  teach  many  a  pampered  and  helpless 
one  lessons  of  great  usefulness  and  patience.  i\Iiss 
L.  is  ill  with  quinsy  and  suffering  very  much,  so 
Alma  makes  the  bread. 

I  have  just  made  four  large  aprons  for  Miss  J., 
cutting  them  out  and  making  them,  and  they  look 
really  well,  so  I  am  quite  proud  of  myself,  espe- 
cially as  Ricka  has  "set  up"  my  knitting  on  needles 
for  me,  and  I  am  going  to  make  some  hose.  I 
usually  knit  evenings,  between  times  at  the  organ, 
for  my  new  yarn  received  from  San  Fran- 
cisco is  very  nice,  and  will  make  warm  winter 
stockings. 

Saturday,  October  twenty-seventh:  We  have 
four  inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  and  more  com- 
ing. Miss  L,  is  quite  ill  with  her  throat,  and  did 
not  get  up  today.  Alma,  too,  is  very  pouty,  with 
a  swollen,  pudgy  face,  and  feels  badly.  They  both 
say  they  think  they  took  cold  coming  fromi  Nom: 
on  the  ''Elk,"  and  I  don't  doubt  it,  for  I  woald 
have  done  so  myself  only  for  my  great  caution  in 
taking  care  of  my  newly  shingled  head  and  in  apply- 
ing a  thorough  dose  of  fur  muckluks  to  my  feet, 
but,  thanks  to  them,  I  am  the  most  "chipper"  one 
at  present. 

Miss  J.  had  Dr.  H.  examine  Bessie  today,  and  he 
says  she  has  bronchitis,  but  told  the  teacher  what 
to  do  for  her. 


2o8  Winter  in  the  Mission 

The  two  girls  came  back  from  the  Home  with 
Mr.  H.  and  I\fr.  L.  about  four  o'clock  after  we  had 
begun  to  be  worried  about  them.  They  were  hun- 
gry, and  iVlma  and  I  got  dinner  for  them,  wiiea 
Mr.  H.  started  back  immediately  in  a  small  boat 
alone,  after  it  had  begun  to  grow  dark.  We  begged 
him  not  to  attempt  it,  but  he  insisted  on  going,  as 
he  must  be  there  tomorrow  to  push  the  work  en 
the  building,  and  the  ice  is  floating,  so  he  fears  it 
will  freeze  the  bay  over.  The  sun  shone  out  beau- 
tifully for  three  or  four  hours,  and  it  is  just  one 
week  today  since  we  landed  in  Golovin,  a  most 
pleasant  week  to  us  all  (pattern  making  not  in- 
cluded). 

Later. — I  helped  with  the  housework  and  made 
two  more  aprons  for  Miss  J.  There  is  nothing  like 
feeling  of  some  use  in  the  world,  is  there? 

Sunday,  October  twenty-eight:  A  clear,  bright 
morning,  growing  cloudy  about  noon,  and  dark  at 
four  in  the  afternoon,  when  hmps  were  lighted. 
We  had  a  long,  restful  day  indoors,  both  Miss  E. 
and  Ricka  being  very  lame  from  their  long  walk 
of  fifteen  miles  over  the  stony  beach  and  tundri 
covered  hills  from  the  Home,  Mr.  H.'s  boat  being 
too  small  for  four  persons.  By  water  the  distance 
is  called  a  dozen  miles,  but  by  land  and  on  foot  it 
is  much  farther,  as  the  girls  have  found  by  sad 
experience;  and  they  were  very  glad  it  was  Sunday, 
and  they  could  rest.  Miss  E.  said  lau'^hingly  that 
we  would  play  we  were  at  home  in  the  States  again. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  209 

and  so  she  spread  the  breakfast  table  daintily  hi  the 
sitting-room,  with  white  cover,  pretty  embroidered 
centre-piece,  and  snowy  napkins,  bringing  real 
comfort  to  our  hearts,  accustomed  as  we  had  been 
for  so  many  months  to  bare  necessities  and  none 
of  the  luxuries.  A  fashionable  breakfast  hour  for 
Sunday  in  the  States  was  also  affected  in  order  to 
make  the  plan  complete,  and  because  the  mornings, 
growing  darker  as  they  are  continually  doing,  no- 
body felt  in  haste  to  leave  their  beds.  Of  course 
every  one  wore  his  Sunday  clothes  and  I  put  on 
my  very  best  waist  of  olive  green  satin  with  a  good 
black  skirt,  which  had  a  little  train,  thereby  efifec- 
tively  hiding  my  uncouth  feet,  still  clad  as  they  are 
in  the  ungainly  muckluks. 

The  ice  is  moving  in  the  bay,  and  we  hear  that 
still  another  steamer  may  come  in,  so  we  can  send 
mail  out  to  Nome,  and  write  to  have  in  readiness. 
There  have  been  no  church  services  today,  as  Mr. 
H.  is  away  at  the  Home,  but  we  had  music  and 
singing  frequently,  and  Swedish  hymns  all  evening, 
which  I  play,  but  do  not  understand. 

Monday,  October  twenty-ninth:  This  has  been 
a  bright,  sunny  morning  until  a  little  after  noon, 
when  it  grew  cloudy,  as  it  often  does.  Miss  E.  was 
still  very  lame  from  her  lorcg  tramp  of  last  Satur- 
day, and  Ricka  and  I  assisted  in  the  kitchen.  Alma 
has  cut  out  a  pretty  brown  cloth  dress  for  Miss  J. 
and  is  making  it.  Miss  L.'s  throat  is  better,  and 
she  is  out  of  her  room  again,  after  a  siege  of  severe 


210  Winter  in  the  Mission 

suffering  with  quinsy,  which  caused  a  gathering. 
About  nine  in  the  evening  Mr.  H.  came  in  from 
the  Home,  having  walked  the  whole  distance,  a 
boat  being  now  unsafe  in  the  floating  ice.  After 
drinking  some  hot  coffee,  he  related  to  us  his  ad~ 
venture  of  Friday  night  in  the  Peterborough  canoe. 
He  had  left  us  quite  late  in  the  afternoon  of  that 
day  to  go  to  the  Home,  and  it  was  already  begin- 
ning to  grow  dark.  For  a  while,  he  said,  he  found 
open  water,  and  made  good  time  at  the  paddle,  but 
presently  found  himself  alongside  of  and  soon  after 
crowded  by  floating  ice. 

It  was  young  ice,  and  he  did  not  have  much  tear 
of  it.  He  kept  on  paddling,  but  finally  found  him- 
self entirely  surrounded,  and  manage  as  he  would, 
he  could  not  free  his  canoe.  A  breeze  came  up 
from  the  north,  which  pushed  him  along  with  the 
ice  out  toward  sea,  foj-  he  was  near  the  mouth  of  the 
bay.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait.  For  an 
hour  he  waited. 

It  was  well  on  towards  midnight,  and  he  could 
see  no  escape.  The  missionary,  in  relating  the  in- 
cident to  us,  did  not  dwell  upon  this  part  of  his 
story,  but  he  said  he  had  given  himself  up  for  Ic^t, 
and  only  prayed  and  waited.  By  and  by  the  breeze 
died  away,  the  ice  quietly  parted,  and  drifted  away 
from  him,  and  he  paddled  safely  ashore. 

Tuesday,  October  thirty:  A  brand  new  experience 
today — that  of  watching  the  natives  and  others  fish 
through  the  ice.     Little  holes  are  made  in  the  ice, 


NATIVES  IN   \\"ixri:u 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  211 

which  is  now  quite  strong  in  the  north  end  of  the 
bay  near  the  cliff,  and  the  Eskimos  sit  there  pa- 
tiently for  hours,  fishing  for  tom-cod.  These  are 
small  fish,  but  quite  tasty,  one  of  the  principal 
means  of  subsistence  for  the  natives,  and  are  also 
much  used  by  others.  No  pole  is  needed  on  the 
line  except  a  short  one  of  three  or  four  feet,  and 
when  a  bite  is  felt  by  the  fisherman,  the  Hne  is 
quickly  drawn  out,  given  a  sudden  twitch,  which 
frees  the  tom-cod,  and  he  is  summarily  dispatched 
with  a  few  raps  from  the  fishing  stick  kept  at  hand 
for  the  purpose. 

Several  river  boats,  including  small  steamers,  are 
laid  up  under  the  clif?  for  the  winter,  dismantled 
01  loose  gear  and  light  machinery,  and  I  did  get  a 
few  views  which  should  prove  of  some  value.  The 
weather  was  good  all  day  the  sun,  setting  at  three 
in  the  afternoon,  and  it  being  nearly  dark  an  hour 
later.  Mr.  H.  dressed  himself  from  top  to  toe  in 
furs,  hitched  three  dogs  to  a  sled,  took  a  lunch  for 
himself,  a  few  supplies  of  eatables  for  the  Home 
camp  to  which  he  was  going  and  started  out,  on  a 
longer,  but  we  trusted  a  less  venturesome  and  dan- 
gerous route  than  by  Peterborough  canoe.  Our 
evening  was  pleasantly,  and  at  the  same  time  more 
or  less  profitably  spent  by  our  party  in  the  sitting- 
room.  Alma  sewing  on  Miss  J.'s  new  dress,  Ricka 
and  I  knitting,  and  the  others  either  mending  or 
busying  themselves  at  something.  This  something 
frequently  covers  a  good  deal  of  ground,  for  with 


213  Winter  in  the  Mission 

one  or  two  of  the  boys  it  means  pranks  or 
roguishness  of  some  sort,  which  really  enlivens  the 
whole  household  and  keeps  our  risibles  from  grow- 
ing rusty  by  disuse. 

Wednesday,  October  thirty-one:  I  find  no  diffi- 
culty in  running  the  sewing  machine  here,  which 
is  a  new  and  good  one,  and  I  like  to  use  it  very 
well.  Just  how  they  could  get  along  without  it  is 
more  than  I  can  tell,  with  so  much  sewing  to  do  for 
each  of  the  children,  not  to  mention  the  others  who 
are  waiting  to  come  into  the  Mission  at  the  earliest 
possible  moiiient.  During  the  day  Mr.  L.  busied 
himself  usefully  in  several  ways  as  he  always  does, 
and  finally  mended  Miss  J.'s  guitar.  After  supper 
we  counted  ourselves  and  found  six  women  and  a 
lot  of  children,  but  he  was  the  only  man  in  the 
establishment,  the  others  being  at  the  Home,  and 
we  hazed  him  considerably,  all  of  which  was  taken 
most  good-naturedly.  The  bay  is  freezing  more 
and  more  each  day,  with  an  increasing  depth  of 
snow  upon  the  ground. 

A  very  unpleasant  day  as  to  weather  was  Friday, 
November  second.  Snow,  high  tide,  and  wind  from 
the  south,  which  blew  the  water  further  yet  upon 
the  beach;  but  we  sewed  all  day,  though  I  did  not 
get  much  accomplished.  I  gave  Miss  E.  her  first 
lesson  on  the  organ  today.  Alma  is  making  her- 
self a  new  dress  skirt,  as  she  has  Miss  J.'s  wool 
dress  nearly  finished,  and  it  looks  exceedingly  well, 
fitting,  as  some  one  remarks,  "like  the  paper  on 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  213 

the  wall."  Alma  likes  dressmaking,  and  does  it 
well,  but  draws  the  line  at  baby  clothes. 

Each  day  Miss  J.,  the  teacher,  is  now  holding  a 
little  prayer  meeting  in  the  kitchen  for  the  natives. 
When  the  supper  is  cleared  away,  one  of  the  boys 
goes  out  and  rings  the  bell,  which  is  only  a  big, 
iron  triangle  hung  under  three  posts  in  the  ground. 
A  piece  of  iron  is  picked  up  and  put  through  the 
triangle,  hitting  it  on  both  sides,  and  making  a 
ringing,  vibrating  sound  which  calls  in  the  natives, 
who  come  immediately,  just  as  they  are,  and  range 
themselves  on  the  benches  along  the  walls.  Those 
who  can  sing  sit  at  the  long  table  upon  which  are 
the  lamps  and  English  song  books,  those  used  be- 
ing principally  Gospel  songs.  One  of  the  grown 
boys  called  Ivan  is  a  very  fair  singer,  and  loves 
music  of  all  kinds.  He  is  the  interpreter  for  all 
meetings,  understanding  English  and  speaking  it 
quite  well.  None  of  the  Eskimos  are  taught  Swed- 
ish— nothing  but  English. 

Miss  J.  reads  a  song  which  she  wishes  them  to 
learn,  and  Ivan  interprets  it  into  Eskimo,  verse  by 
verse,  afterwards  singing  it.  Tunes  are  learned 
more  quickly  than  words,  but  they  get  the  meaning 
from  Ivan.  Then  Miss  J.  reads  the  Scripture,  Ivan 
interpreting  verse  by  verse.  She  next  oflfers  prayer 
in  English,  and  calls  upon  some  older  native  Chris- 
tian to  pray  in  his  language,  after  which  they  sing 
several  songs  with  which  they  are  familiar.  Hav- 
ing selected  beforehand  some  passarres   from  the 


214  Winter  in  the  Mission 

Bible,  she  reads  and  expounds  that,  being  inter- 
preted by  Ivan;  there  is  a  short  benediction  and 
the  meeting  is  over.  They  seem  to  like  very  well 
to  come,  and  are  never  eager  to  go,  but  say  little, 
not  being  great  talkers,  even  in  their  own  tongue. 

When  the  last  Eskimo  has  departed,  and  the  chil- 
dren are  settled  in  bed,  the  cozy  hour  of  the  day 
has  arrived.  For  a  good,  old-fashioned  tale  of  love, 
fright  and  adventure,  there  is  no  time  like  a  win- 
ter's night,  when  the  wind  shrieks  down  the  chim- 
ney and  whirling  snow  cuddles  into  corners  and 
crannies.  When  supper  is  over,  and  the  kitchen  is 
well  cleared,  the  women  of  the  house  may  take  their 
yarn  and  bright  needles,  while  the  men  toast  their 
feet  at  the  fire  and  spin — other  yarns,  without 
needles,  which  are,  perhaps,  not  so  essential,  but 
far  more  entertaining  to  listeners. 

This  is  what  we  did  that  winter  at  Chinik,  the 
home  of  the  Eskimo,  in  that  far  away  spot  near  the 
Arctic  Sea.  There  were  tales  of  the  Norsemen  and 
Vikings,  told  by  their  hardy  descendants  sitting 
beside  us,  as  well  as  the  stories  of  Ituk  and  Moses, 
the  aged,  called  "Uncle,"'  Punni  Churah,  big  Koki, 
and  "Lowri." 

To  the  verity  of  the  following  narrative  all  these 
and  many  others  can  willingly  vouch. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE  R£TIR£D   SEA  CAPTAIN. 


ANY  years  agfo,  close  under  the 
X4[  shadow  of  old  Plymouth  Rock,  there 
was  born  one  day  a  fair-skinned,  blue- 
eyed  baby.  Whether  from  heredity,  or 
environment,  or  both,  the  reason  of  his 
spirit  will  perhaps  never  plainly  appear, 
but  as  the  child  grew  into  manhood 
he  seemed  filled  with  the  same  adven- 
turous aspirations  which  had  actuated 
his  forefathers,  causing  them  to  leave 
their  homes  in  old  England,  and  come  to  foreign 
shores.  Scarcely  had  he  passed  into  his  teens  be- 
fore he  was  devouring  tales  of  pirates,  and  kin- 
dred old  sea  yarns,  and  his  heart  was  fired  with 
ambition  to  own  a  vessel  and  sail  the  high  seas. 
Not  that  he  thirsted  for  a  pirate's  life,  but  a  sea- 
faring man's  adventures  he  longed  for  and  decided 
he  must  have. 

Under  these  conditions  a  close  application  at  his 
desk  in  tlie  village  school  was  an  unheard-of  conse- 
quence; and,  having  repeatedly  smarted  under  the 
schoolmaster's  ferule,  not  to  mention  his  good 
mother's  switches  plucked  from  the  big  lilac  bush 
by  her  door,  he  decided  to  run  away  to  the  great 
harbor,  and  ship  upon  some  vessel  bound  for  a 
foreign  land. 


2i6  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

This  he  did  Then  followed  the  usual  hard, 
rough  life  of  a  boy  among  sailors  in  distant  ports; 
the  knotted  rope's  end,  the  lip  blackening  language 
and  curses,  storms,  shipwrecks  and  misfortunes; 
all  followed  as  a  part  of  the  life  so  hastily  chosen 
by  the  adventurous  young  lad,  until  he  acquired 
familiarity  with  aH  that  appertained  thereto,  and  he 
was  a  man. 

Years  passed.  To  say  that  fortune  never  came 
to  him  would  not  be  true,  because  she  is  always  a 
fickle  dame,  and  cannot  change  her  character  for 
sailor  men.  So  it  came  about  that  he  finally  stood 
on  the  captain's  bridge  of  different  sorts  of  craft, 
and  gave  orders  to  those  beneath  him. 

And  a  typical  sea  captain  was  he.  Gruff  when 
occasion  required,  rollicking  as  any  when  it 
pleased  him,  he  was  generous  to  a  fault,  and  a  man 
of  naturally  good  impulses.  If  he  drank,  he  was 
never  tipsy;  if  he  swore,  he  always  had  reason;  and 
thus  he  excused  himself  when  he  thought  of  his 
good  old  mother's  early  Bible  teaching. 

From  Montevideo  to  Canton,  from  Gibraltar  to 
San  Francisco,  from  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean;  thus  ran  his  itinerary  year  after  year. 
Crossing  Behring  Strait  from  Siberia  in  the  sum- 
mer of  i8 — ,  he  landed,  with  his  little  crew,  at  Cape 
Prince  of  Wales,  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with 
the  natives.  The  furs  of  the  animals  of  this  region 
were  found  to  be  exceptionally  fine.  Chick  and 
glossy,  and  the  Eskimos  easily  parted  with  them. 
For  ilour,  tobacco  and  woolen  cloth  they  willingly 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  217 

gave  their  furs  to  the  sailors,  who  looked  admir- 
ingly upon  the  skins  of  the  polar  bear,  sea  otter, 
beaver,  silver,  black  and  white  fox,  as  well  as  those 
of  many  other  animals.  These  furs  were  sold  in 
San  Francisco,  and  other  trips  were  made  to  the 
Arctic  Northwest. 

Along  the  south  coast  of  the  Seward  Peninsula 
there  are  few  bays  or  natural  harbors,  Golovin 
Bay  is  one  of  them.  Here  for  many  years  the  Eski- 
mos have  subsisted  upon  the  fine  fish  and  game. 
The  flesh  and  oils  of  the  white  whale,  seal  and 
walrus  being  principally  sought  for,  the  natives 
came  to  this  bay  from  all  directions. 

After  many  years  of  wandering,  and  when  the 
ambitions  of  the  captain  for  a  seafarhig  life  had 
been  satisfied,  an  incident  occurred  which  changed 
the  current  of  his  life  and  decided  him  to  settle  per- 
manently at  Golovin  Bay. 

During  his  visits  on  the  peninsula  his  attention) 
had  been  directed  to  a  bright  and  intelligent  young 
Eskitno  woman,  Hthe  and  lively,  a  good  swimmer, 
trapper  and  hunter.  Like  a  typical  Indian,  she 
had  a  clear,  keen  eye,  steady  nerves  and  common 
sense.  She  was  a  good  gunner  and  seldom  missed 
her  mark.  She  was  fearless  on  land  or  sea,  loved 
her  free  out-door  life,  and  was  a  true  child  of  nature. 
Her  name  was  Mollie. 

One  day  in  the  early  springtime,  nearly  a  dozen 
years  ago,  when  the  winter's  ice  was  still  impris- 
oned  in   the   bays   and   sounds    of    Behring   Sea, 


si8  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

though  the  warm  sun  had  for  weeks  been  shining 
and  already  seams  appeared  upon  the  ice  in  many 
places,  the  captain  attempted  the  trip  by  dog-team 
from  St.  Michael  to  Golovin  Bay.  With  him  were 
four  trusty  natives,  and  three  dog-teams,  the  ani- 
mals being  of  the  hardy  Eskimo  breed,  and  well- 
nigh  impervious  to  cold,  their  long,  thick  hair 
making  an  effective  protection. 

His  men  were  experienced,  knowing  the  country 
perfectly,  including  a  knowledge  of  winter  trails 
and  methods  of  traveling  such  as  all  Eskimos  pos- 
sess, and  though  the  weather  was  not  just  what  the 
captain  might  have  wished,  he  decided  to  make  the 
long  trip.  The  strong  sleds  with  high-back  handle 
bar  and  railed  sides  were  firmly  packed  with 
freight,  which  was  securely  lashed  down.  The  dogs 
were  driven  in  pairs,  eleven  to  a  sled,  the  eleventh 
being  in  each  case  a  fine  leader  and  called  such,  be- 
sides having  his  own  Eskimo  name,  as  did  also  the 
four  men  who  were  warmly  dressed  in  furs  from 
head  to  foot.  These  natives  were  familiar  with 
little  English,  but  as  the  captain  had  made  liimself 
acquainted  with  their  language  they  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  making  each  other  understood. 

Early  in  the  evening  of  that  day  they  reached 
the  Mission  station  of  Unalaklik,  on  the  mainland, 
about  fifty  miles  northeast  of  the  island,  where  they 
spent  the  night.  In  this  settlement  were  white 
traders,  as  well  as   missionaries  and  numbers  of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  219 

Eskimos,  it  being  an  old  port  of  considerable  im- 
portance. 

In  the  cold  gray  morning  light  Punni  Churah 
and  the  men  called  to  the  malamutes,  patting  their 
furry  heads  and  talking  kindly  to  them,  for  many 
a  weary,  long  mile  of  snow  trail  stretched  north- 
ward for  them  that  day  before  they  could  rest  and 
eat.  Only  at  night,  when  their  day's  work  was 
done,  were  these  faithful  creatures  ever  fed  on  seal, 
fish,  whale,  or  walrus  meat,  for  otherwise  they 
would  be  drowsy,  and  not  willing  to  travel;  so  they 
were  called  early  from  their  snow  beds  in  a  drift  or 
hollow,  where  they  liked  best  to  sleep,  and  made 
ready  for  the  start. 

Dressed  in  their  squirrel  skin  parkies,  with  wide- 
bordered  hoods  upon  their  heads,  reindeer  muck- 
luks  on  their  feet  and  mittens  of  skin  upon  their 
hands,  stood  Ah  Chugor  Ruk,  Ung  Kah  Ah  Ruk, 
lamklluk  and  Punni  Churah,  long  lashed  whips  in 
hand,  and  waiting. 

On  one  of  the  sleds,  dressed  and  enveloped  in 
furs,  sat  the  captain,  before  giving  the  order  to 
start.  At  the  word  from  him,  the  dogs  sprang  to 
their  collars,  the  little  bells  jingled,  and  away  they 
all  dashed.  Team  after  team,  over  the  well-trodden 
trail  they  went,  keeping  up  a  continuous  and 
sprightly  trot  for  hours,  while  behind  at  the  handle 
bars  ran  the  natives,  and  rocks,  hills  and  moun- 
tains were  passed  all  unnoticed. 

That  night  another  Eskimo  village  was  reached, 


220  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

and  sixty  miles  of  snow  trail  were  left  behind. 
Shaktolik  lay  on  the  shore  southeast  of  a  portage 
which  would  have  to  be  made  over  a  small  point  of 
land  jutting  out  into  Norton  Bay. 

During  the  night  a  storm  came  up  which  wouU 
necessarily  much  impede  their  progress,  being 
called  in  the  western  world  a  "blizzard."  This 
storm  fiend,  once  met,  is  never  forgotten.  None 
but  the  man  in  the  Arctic  has  seen  him.  None 
know  so  well  how  to  elude  him.  Like  a  Peele,  or  a 
"tremblor,"  this  Arctic  king  gathers  his  forces, 
more  mighty  than  armies  in  battle,  and  sweeps  all 
opponents  before  him.  To  resist  means  death.  To 
crouch,  cower  or  bow  down  to  this  implacable  lord 
lof  the  polar  world  is  the  only  way  to  evade  his 
wrath  when  he  rides  abroad,  and  woe  to  the  man 
who  thinks  otherwise. 

Not  long  had  the  wind  and  snow  been  blowing 
when  the  little  train  prepared  to  move.  Ahead 
they  could  see  the  sled  tracks  of  other  *^'mushers" 
(travelers  by  dog-team),  and  the  captain  concluded 
to  hurry  along,  notwithstanding  that  Ah  Chugor 
Ruk  shook  his  head,  and  spat  tobacco  juice  upon 
the  ground,  and  Ung  Kah  Ah  Ruk  demurred  stout- 
ly in  few  words.  Punni  Churah  thought  as  the  rest, 
but  would  go  ahead  if  the  captain  so  ordered,  and 
they  headed  northwest  for  the  portage. 

On  the  dogs  trotted  for  hours.  The  snow  and 
sleet  were  blinding,  the  wind  had  risen  to  a  gale. 
The  dogs  traveled  less  rapidly  now,  and  their  faces 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  221 

were  covered  with  frost,  the  moisture  freezing  as 
they  breathed. 

By  this  time  the  natives  wanted  to  camp  where 
they  were,  or  head  about  northeast  for  another 
Eskimo  village  called  Ungaliktulik,  which  would 
make  the  journey  longer  by  twenty-five  miles,  but 
the  captain  decided  to  keep  on  as  they  were  going. 

By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  gale  had  in- 
creased to  fury,  causing  the  thermometer  to  fall 
with  gi-eat  rapidity,  while  the  snow  was  blinding. 
The  dogs  were  curling  up  in  the  wind  like  leaves 
before  a  blaze. 

Ah  Chugor  Ruk  was  ahead  with  his  team.  His 
leader  suddenly  halted. 

"Muk-a-muk!"  cried  the  Eskimo. 

"Muk!"  echoed  Punni  Churah,  running  up 
alongside  to  look,  and  then  back  to  the  captain's 
sled,  where  he  shouted  something  loudly  in  order 
to  be  heard  above  the  storm. 

An  ice  crack  crossed  their  trail.  There  was  no 
help  for  it.  There  it  lay,  dark  and  cold  —  the 
dreaded  water. 

In  the  blinding  blizzard  they  could  not  see  the 
width  of  the  chasm.  It  was  too  wide  for  them  to 
bridge;  it  was  death  to  remain  where  they  were — 
they  must  turn  back,  and  they  did  so.  The  wind 
was  not  now  in  their  faces  as  before  wSich  made 
traveling  some  easier,  but  they  had  not  gone  far 
wlien:  "Muk-a-muk!"  from  Punni  this  time,  who 
was  ahead. 


222  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

Again  the  dogs  stopped.  Again  Punni  Churah 
came  back,  and  reported. 

They  were  adrift  on  a  cake  of  ice.  Wind  from 
the  northeast  was  blowing  a  hurricane,  carrying 
them  on  their  ice  cake  directly  out  to  sea;  but  the 
snow  was  drifting  in  hummocks,  and  in  one  of  tRem 
the  natives  began  digging  a  hole  for  a  hut.  When^ 
this  was  of  sufficient  size,  they  pitched'  a  sled  cover 
of  canvas  over  it,  made  the  sleighs  fast  outside, 
and  crawled  underneath.  Once  insid'e  their  tem- 
porary igloo,  they  made  a  fire  of  white  drilling 
and  bacon,  taken  from  the  sled  loads  of  merchan- 
dise; melted  snow  for  water,  and  boiled  coffee,  be- 
ing nearly  famished.  Then  for  hours  they  all  slept 
heavily,  the  dogs  being  huddled  together  in  the 
snow,  as  ?s  their  habit,  but  the  blizzard  raged' 
frightfully,  and  drove  the  dogs  nearer  the  men  in 
the  hut. 

Crawling  upon  the  canvas  for  more  warmth,  the 
poor  freezing  creatures,  struggling  for  shelter, 
with  the  weight  of  their  bodies  caused  the  hut  to 
collapse,  and  all  fell,  in  one  writhing  heap,  upon 
the  heads  of  the  unfortunates  below.  Howling, 
barking,  struggling  to  free  themselves  from  the 
tangle,  the  pack  of  brutes  added  torment  to  the  lot 
of  the  men;  but  the  storm  raged  with  such  terrific 
force  that  all  lay  as  they  fell,  until  morning,  under 
the  snow. 

None  now  disputed  the  storm  king's  sway.  All 
were  laid  low  before  him.     With  the  united  ft'.rv  of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  223 

fiends  of  Hades,  he  laughed  in  demoniacal  glee  at 
the  desperation  of  the  Arctic  travelers  under  his 
heel.  The  whole  world  was  now  his.  Far  from  the 
icy  and  unknown  wastes  of  the  interior,  around 
the  great  Circle  and  Rockies,  riding  above  the 
(heads  of  rivers  and  mountains,  he  came  from  the 
Koyuk  and  Ko\ukuk,  Like  a  child  at  play,  as  if 
weary  of  so  long  holding  them  in  his  coldi  em- 
brace, he  drove  the  massive  ice  floes  out  into 
ocean,  only,  perhaps,  in  childish  litfulness,  to  bring 
them  back  directly,  by  gales  quite  contrary. 

When  morning  dawned,  the  captain  and  his  men 
crawled  out  of  the  crushed  snow  hut,  and,  with 
hard  work,  made  a  new  cave  in  the  snow  drift, 
burying  the  sleighs  in  the  old  one.  The  dogs  were 
starving,  and,  to  appease  their  appetites,  were 
purloining  bacon  from  the  sleds'  stores;  but  Provi 
dence,  for  once,  was  kind  to  them,  and  a  large,  fat 
seal  of  several  hundred  pounds  weight  was  shot 
that  day  on  the  edige  of  the  ice  cake  upon  which 
they  were  camped,  and  this  gave  them  food  and 
fuel.  Dogs  and  natives  were  then  well  fed  on  the 
fresh  seal  meat  and  blubber,  their  natural  and 
favorite  viands.  From  tin  dishes  upon  the  sleds, 
the  natives  made  little  stoves,  or  lamps,  using  drill- 
ing for  wicks,  seal  oil  for  fuel,  and  their  coffee  was 
made.  Among  the  stores  on  the  sleds  were  canne  1 
good's,  beans,  sausages,  flour  and  other  things, 
and  on  these  the  captain  subsisted. 

Day  after  day  passed.    The  storm  gradually  died 


3i4  '^^^  Retired  Sea  Captain 

away,  and  the  sun  came  out.  Then  watches  were 
set  to  keep  a  look-out,  and  the  captain  took  his 
turn  with  his  men.  Walking  about  in  the  cold 
morning  air,  he  could  see  the  mainland  to  the 
norlhwest,  many  miles  away,  and  his  heart  sank 
within  him.  Would  he  ever  put  his  foot  upon  that 
shore  again?  How  long  could  they  live  on  the  ice 
cake  if  they  floated  far  out  in  the  Behring  Sea?  To 
him  the  outlook  was  growing  darker  each  day, 
though  the  natives  seemed  not  to  be  troubled. 

Nearly  two  weeks  passed.  One  night  the  captain 
was  awakened  by  a  hand  on  his  shoulder.  It  was 
Ung  Kah  Ah  Ruk.  The  wind,  he  said,  was  blowing 
steadily  from  the  southwest,  and  if  it  continued  they 
might  be  able  to  reach  the  shore  ice  and  the  main- 
land. Anxiously  together  then  they  watched  and 
waited  for  long,  weary  hours,  getting  the  sleds 
loaded,  and  in  readiness  for  a  start;  then,  with 
bitterest  disappointment,  they  found  the  wind  again 
changed  to  the  southwest,  which  would  carrv  them 
out  to  sea  as  before. 

What  were  they  to  do?  This  might  be  their  best 
and  only  chance  to  escape.  The  shore  ice  lay  near 
them,  but,  as  yet,  beyond  their  reach.  This  treach- 
erous wind  might  continue  for  days  and  even 
weeks.  From  experience  they  knew  that  the  wind 
blew  where  he  listed,  regardless  of  the  forlorn  crea- 
tures under  him,  and  with  the  thermometer  at  forty 
degrees  below  zero,  as  it  was,  swimming  was  out 
of  the  question.     The  crack  appeared  a  dozen  or  so 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  225 

feet  in   width,   and   escape   was   only   possible   by 
reaching  the  other  side. 

Their  strait  was  a  desperate  one.  The  captain 
decided  to  make  the  leap.  Removing  his  furs,  he 
rolled  them  tightly,  and  threw  them  across  the 
chasm.  It  was  now  a  positive  dash  for  life,  as 
without  his  furs  he  would  soon  perish  with  ihe 
cold. 

He  made  the  run  and  leaped.  At  that  instant  one 
of  the  natives,  from  intense  interest,  or  from  a  de- 
sire to  assist,  gave  a  loud  Eskimo  whoop,  which 
startled  the  captain,  and  he  missed  his  footing,  fall- 
ing forward  upon  the  ice,  but  with  his  lower  limbs 
in  the  water. 

The  natives  now  bestirred  themselves  and  threw 
to  the  captain  a  large  hunting  knife  and  rifle,  at- 
tached to  their  long  sled  lashings.  With  a  good 
deal  of  exertion,  the  captain  crawled  upon  the  ice, 
and  with  the  knife  he  chopped  a  hole,  and  inserted 
the  rifle  barrel,  fastening  the  lashings  to  it  and 
holding  it  firmly  in  place.  The  natives  then  pulled 
with  united  strength  on  the  line,  bringing  the  ice 
cake  slowly  up  toward  the  captain  until  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  shore  ice,  when,  using  a  sled  for  a 
bridge,  they  and  the  dogs  crossed  safely  over,  with- 
out so  much  as  wetting  their  feet.  To  all,  this  was 
a  matter  for  great  rejoicing,  and  no  regretful  fare- 
wells were  given  to  the  ice  floe  which  had  betn 
their  prison  house  so  long.  They  were  not  yet  out 
of  danger,  however,  for  the  shore  Ice  upon  which 


226  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

they  stood  might,  in  the  gale,  at  any  moment  be 
loosened  and  carry  them,  like  the  other,  out  in.o 
the  ocean.  So  with  all  haste  possible,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  get  away.  Punni  Churah  brought  the 
captain's  fur  sleeping  bag  and  robes,  in  which  he 
was  stowed  away  in  one  of  the  sleds,  though  his  wet 
clothing  was  now  frozen.  There  was  no  time  nor 
place  to  make  a  change,  with  the  thermometer 
nearly  forty  degrees  below  zero. 

Hours  afterward  they  reached  the  mainland. 
How  good  once  more  to  step  foot  on  terra  firm  i ! 
The  dogs  barked,  and  the  natives  hallooed  cheer- 
fully to  each  other,  for  they  were  now  going  home. 
A  deserted  native  village  was  soon  entered,  an 
igloo  in  passable  condition  taken  possession  of, 
and  the  dogs  tied  up  for  the  night. 

The  natives  now  worked  rapidly  and  cheerfully, 
two  putting  up  their  camp  stove,  another  bringing 
snow  for  water  witli  which  to  make  the  cofifee,  and 
Punni  Churah  looking  after  the  captain,  who  tried 
to  remove  his  clothing,  but  to  no  purpose.  Muck- 
luks  and  trousers  were  frozen  together,  and  as  fast 
as  the  ice  melted  sufficiently  they  were  cut  away. 
Contrary  to  his  expectations,  he  was  not  severely 
frozen,  a  white  patch,  the  size  of  his  hand,  appear- 
ing upon  each  limb  above  the  knee.  With  these 
they  did  the  best  they  could,  and  dry  clothing  from 
the  sleds  was  put  on. 

Their  supper  that  night  was  a  feast  of  rejoicing. 
Tb.ey  were  now  on  the  home  trail,  and  would  soon 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  227 

be  among  friends.  One  more  day  of  travel  and 
their  long,  hazardous,  and  eventful  trip  of  two  hun- 
dred miles  over  an  Arctic  waste  would  be  success- 
fully accomplished.  As  they  rolled  themselves  in 
their  furs  at  midnight  for  a  few  hours  of  needed 
rest  and  sleep,  they  could  almost  fancy  themselves 
at  home  again  and  happy.  The  dogs  huddled  in  the 
snow  outside,  now  and  then  barking  in  their  usual 
way,  but  the  tired  men  in  the  igloo  did  not  hear 
them,  for  their  sleep  was  oblivion,  after  the  strain 
of  the  last  two  weeks. 

Next  morning,  after  traveling  for  several  hours, 
a  halt  was  made,  and  a  lunch  was  taken  in  an  Es- 
kimo camp;  but  the  captain,  by  this  time,  was  suf- 
fering from  exposure  and  frosted  limbs,  the  trail 
was  bad,  and  he  concluded  to  hurry  on  ahead  of 
the  teams.  The  way  was  familiar,  and  only  one 
low  mountain,  called  the  Portage,  was  to  be 
crossed.  It  was  early  in  the  day,  and  his  teams 
would  follow  immediately;  so  on  his  snowshoes  the 
captain  hastened  toward  home. 

God  help  the  man  who  travels  alone  in  the  Arctic 
in  winter!  Little  matters  it  if  the  sun  shines  bright- 
ly at  starting,  and  the  sky  appears  clear  as  a  sum- 
mer pool.  In  one  short  hour  the  aspect  of  all  may 
be  changed,  heavens  overcast,  snow  flying,  and 
wind  rapidly  driving.  Under  the  gathering  dark- 
ness and  whirling  snowflakes  the  narrow  trail  is 
soon  obscured,  or  entirely  obliterated,  the  icy  wind 
congeals  the  traveler's  breath  and  courage  simulta- 


328  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

neously,  he  bcomes  confused  and  goes  round  and 
round  in  a  circle,  until,  benumbed  by  the  frost,  he 
sinks  down  to  die.  This  was  what  now  happened 
to  the  captain. 

Another  storm  was  upon  him  when  he  reached 
the  hill  portage,  and  as  he  expected  his  natives  mo- 
mentarily, and  beyond  this  point  the  trail  was 
good,  so  that  he  could  ride  behind  the  dogs,  he 
waited  until  they  should  come  up  to  him.  Hour 
after  hour  he  waited.  Night  came  on,  and  the  bliz- 
zard increased  in  severity.  Hungry,  cold  and 
already  frost-bitten,  he  must  spend  the  night  on  the 
mountain  alone.  Still  he  listened  for  the  bells  on 
the  malamutes,  and  the  calls  of  his  Eskimo  drivers. 

They  did  not  come.  Nothing  but  snow,  and  the 
shriek  of  that  storm  king  whose  rage  he  had  so 
recently  encountered  while  drifting  to  sea  on  the  ice 
floe,  and  from  whom  only  cruelty  was  ever  expect- 
ed now  whistled  in  his  ears. 

He  knew  he  must  keep  on  walking,  so  removing 
his  snow  shoes  he  stuck  one  in  the  snow  drift  and 
fastened  a  seal  rope  at  the  top.  Taking  the  end  of 
this  in  his  hand,  he  circled  round  and  round  for 
hours  to  keep  himself  moving.  At  last  he  grew 
weary,  and  closed  his  eyes,  still  walking  as  before. 
It  was  more  pleasant  to  keep  his  eyes  closed,  for 
then  he  saw  visions  of  bright,  warm  rooms,  blazing 
fires  and  cozy  couches,  and  smelled  the  odors  of 
appetizing  foods.  There  were  flowers,  sweet  music 
and  children,  and  he  was  again  in  far-off  sunny 
lands. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  229 

He  grew  drowsy.  He  would  only  rest  a  little  in 
a  soft  white  drift,  and  then  go  on  again.  Making 
a  place  in  the  bank  with  the  snowshoe,  while  the 
wind  whistled  horribly  and  the  whirling  snow  be- 
wildered him,  he  lay  down  to — 

Some  men,  one  night,  drove  their  dog-teams  into 
Chinik.  They  had  come  from  St.  Michael,  two 
hundred  miles  over  the  trail.  They  said  the  cap- 
tain and  his  party  left  there  many  days  before  them 
and  b}'  this  they  Vk^ere  surely  dead,  unless  drifted 
out  to  sea,  which  really  meant  the  same  thing,  as 
no  man  could  live  upon  the  ice  during  the  recent 
great  blizzard.  An  Eskimo  woman  heard  what 
they  said.  She  was  a  cousin  to  Punni  Churah,  but 
she   said  nothing. 

An  hour  later,  the  woman  and  two  men  with 
dogs  and  sleds  left  Chinik  for  the  Portage,  going 
east.  It  was  storming,  but  it  was  not  dark,  and 
they  knew  each  foot  of  the  way.  At  first,  on  the 
level,  the  woman  rode  in  one  of  the  sleds,  but  when 
it  grew  hilly,  she  trudged  behind.  Her  sharp  eyes 
now  keenly  searched  every  dark  or  obscure  spot 
along  the  hillside  trail.  The  wind  lessened  some- 
what, and  the  moon  came  out  behind  the  clouds. 

The  dogs  finally  stopped,  throwing  back  their 
heads  and  howling;  then,  in  more  excitement,  gave 
the  short,  quick  bark  of  the  chase. 

The  natives  began  poking  about  with  sticks  in 
the  drifts,  and  Mollie  (for  it  was  she)  soon  found 
the   unconscious   man   in   the   snow. 


230  The  Retired  Sea  Captain 

Quick  work  then  they  made  of  the  return  trip. 
They  were  only  a  few  miles  from  home  now,  and 
the  malamutes  seemed  to  comprehend.  Every  nerve 
in  their  bodies  tingled.  Every  tiny  bell  on  their 
harnesses  jingled,  and  the  fleet-footed  natives  sped 
rapidly  behind.  The  dogs  needed  no  guidance,  for 
they  were  going  home,  and  well  knew  it.  The 
voice  of  big  Ituk,  as  he  gave  out  his  Eskimo  calls, 
the  sleigh-bells,  and  the  creak  of  the  sled  runners 
over  the  frosty  snow  were  the  only  sounds  heard 
on  the  clear  morning  air. 

The  life  of  the  captain  was  saved. 

The  sequel  of  this  story  is  not  long.  With  the 
best  care  known  to  a  native  woman,  brought  up 
near  and  inside  a  Mission  station,  the  captain  was 
tended  and  brought  back  to  life,  though  weeks 
passed  before  he  was  well.  In  fact,  he  was  never 
strong  again,  and,  needing  a  life-long  nurse,  de- 
cided, with  Mollie's  consent,  to  take  her  for  his 
wife,  and  so  the  missionary  married  them.  Then 
they  settled  permanently  at  Golovin  Bay,  where  a 
trading  post  was  already  established,  and  where 
they  are  living  happily  to  this  day. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


HO\ir  THE   LONG  DAYS   PASSKD. 


N  Saturday,  November  third,   began  a 

•^         great    sewing    of    fur    caps,    children's 

^^         clothes,    and    also    garments    for    the 

teacher.     For  the  caps,  a  pattern  had 

to    be    made    before     beginning,     but 

Alma  and  not  I  did  it.     About  four  in 

the  afternoon  Mr.  H.,  Mr.  G.  and  Mr. 

B.    came    in    from    the    Home,    having 

worked  all  day  at  collecting  drift-wood 

as  they  came  along,  piling  it  upon  end 

so  it  will  not  be  buried  in  the  snow,  for  that  is  the 

only  fuel  we  will  have  this  winter,  and  it  must  be 

gathered  and  hauled  by  the  boys. 

While  in  the  sitting  room  after  supper  three 
gentlemen  and  the  wife  of  one  of  them  called  to 
spend  the  evening  from  the  A.  E.  Company's 
establishment.  One  was  the  manager  and  head  of 
the  company's  store  here,  another  was  his  clerk, 
and  the  man  and  his  wife  were  neighbors. 

We  soon  found  out  that  the  young  clerk  had 
been  up  the  Koyuk  River  prospecting,  and  wanted 
to  go  again.  The  boys  want  to  go  there  them- 
selves, and  we  gathered  considerable  information 
from  our  callers  regarding  the  country,  manner  of 
getting  there,  the  best  route,  etc.,  and  spent  a  pleas- 
ant evening,  as  they  seemed  also  to  do. 


232  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

Sunday,  November  fourth,  was  marked  as  the 
first  time  of  holding  church  service  in  the  school- 
house  since  our  arrival,  and  a  good  number  were 
present.  Twenty-two  Eskimos  and  ten  white  peo- 
ple made  a  cozy  little  audience  for  Mr.  H.  and  his 
interpreter,  Ivan.  I  played  the  organ,  and  they  all 
sang  from  Gospel  songs.  For  some  reasdn  a 
lump  would  come  up  in  my  throat  when  I  pla}el 
the  old  home  songs  that  I  had  so  many  times 
played  under  widely  differing  circumstances,  thou- 
sands of  miles  away;  but  under  the  current  of  sad- 
ness there  was  one  also  of  thanksgiving  for  protec- 
tion and  guidance  all  the  way. 

It  was  a  motley  crowd  listening  to  the  preacher 
that  day,  from  various  and  widely  separated  coun- 
tries, Sweden,  Norway,  Finland,  United  States, 
Alaska  and  possibly  some  others,  were  represented 
at  this  service  as  well  as  at  the  one  of  the  evening 
held  in  the  Mission  House  which  needed  no  extra 
lights  nor  warming.  A  few  more  natives  came  in 
at  this  time,  and  Mollie,  the  captain's  wife,  was 
there  with  her  mother.  Again  I  played  theiiTstrn- 
ment,  while  the  rest  sang.  The  little  sitting-room 
and  hall  were  crowded,  seats  having  been  brorght 
in  from  the  kitchen,  and  some  were  standing  at  th^ 
doors.  One  old  Eskimo  woman  seemed  in  deep 
trouble,  for  she  wiped  her  eyes  a  great  deal,  and 
she,  with  some  others,  were  very  dirty,  at  least  if 
odors  tell  stories  without  lying. 

Monday,  November  fifth:    This  has  been  a  fine 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  233 

day,  and  brought  with  it  a  new  lot  of  experiences. 
I  took  a  few  kodak  views  of  a  dog-team  and  fur- 
dressed  people  in  front  of  the  Mission.  After  supper 
four  neighbors  came  (the  same  who  called  on  us 
the  other  evening),  with  their  horse,  to  take  us 
out  for  a  moonlight  ride,  and  it  proved  a  very  novel 
one.  A  big,  gray  horse,  with  long  legs  supporting 
his  great  hulk,  and  carrying  him  away  up  above  us 
as  we  sat  on  the  sled;  the  conveyance,  a  home- 
made "bob"  sled,  upon  which  had  been  placed 
rough  boards  piled  with  hay  and  fur  robes  for  the 
comfort  of  passengers,  and  the  harness  home-made 
like  the  "rig,"  was  ingeniously  constructed  of  odds 
and  ends  of  old  rope  of  different  colors,  which,  the 
men  assured  us,  when  interrogated  upon  the  point, 
were  perfectly  strong  and  secure. 

In  it  were  knots,  loops,  twists  and  coils,  with 
traces  spliced  at  great  length  in  order  to  keep  us 
clear  of  the  horse's  heels,  but  which  frequently  got 
him  entangled,  so  that  he  had  to  be  released  by  the 
footman  (the  clerk).  When  this  occurred,  the  latter, 
with  an  Indian  war-whoop,  leaped  ofif  the  sledge, 
flourished  and  cracked  his  big  "black  snake" 
whip  in  air  to  encourage  the  animal  to  run  faster, 
and  I,  sitting  with  the  driver  on  the  front  seat, 
gripped  for  dear  life  the  board  upon  which  I  sat. 
No  Jehu,  I  feel  sure,  ever  drove  as  did  our  driver 
tonight,  assisted  by  the  whooping  footman  with 
his  black  snake.  Through  drifts  and  over  the  pond, 
which  was  frozen,  down  steep  banks  to  the  beach. 


234  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

through  snow  deep  and  still  deeper,  helter  skelter 
they  drove,  skurrying,  shouting,  urging  the  poor 
beast  on  until  he  was  wild  of  eye,  short  of  breath, 
weary  in  limb,  and  reeking. 

Overhead  the  air  was  clear  as  crystal,  stars 
bright,  and  a  perfect  full  moon  shining  with  bril- 
liant whiteness  over  all.  Only  the  jingle  of  the 
bells  upon  the  horse,  the  shrieks  of  our  footman 
and  driver,  and  the  laughter  of  the  passengers  on 
the  "bob"  broke  the  stillness  of  the  quiet,  frosty 
air,  which,  in  its  intense  purity  and  lightness 
seemed  fairly  to  vibrate  with  electricity  as  we 
breathed. 

November  sixth:  I  have  spent  the  day  at  mak- 
ing a  warm  winter  hood  for  myself.  Finding  that 
Mr.  H.  had  gray  squirrel  skins,  I  bought  six  of 
him  for  twenty-five  cents  apiece  for  a  lining  for 
hood  and  mittens.  The  hood  I  made  pretty  large 
every  way,  sewing  two  red  fox  tails  around  the 
face  for  a  border  to  keep  the  wind  ofi  my  face,  as 
is  the  Eskimo  fashion. 

During  the  day  G.  and  B.  went  out  over  the 
beach  to  collect  driftwood  for  winter,  and  G.  came 
home  finally  without  his  companion.  It  was 
thought  that  B.  went  on  to  the  Home,  as  he  found 
himself  not  so  far  from  that  as  from  the  Mission, 
where  he  would  probably  remain  all  night,  and 
come  over  next  day.  Two  natives,  with  as  many 
reindeer  and  sleds,  came  for  f^our  and  other  things, 
taking  Mr.  H.'s  trunk  of  clothing  with  them  for 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  235 

the  missionary.  The  httle  Eskimos  were  deUghtcd 
to  see  the  deer,  and  ran  out  to  them,  pettin;^  and 
talking  to  them.  Then  they  rattled  on  among 
themselves  about  the  animals,  inspecting  and  feel- 
ing of  their  horns,  patting  their  fat  sides,  calling 
their  names,  and  showing  their  pleasure  at  seeing 
the  pretty  creatures  in  various  ways.  I  did  not 
know  which  were  of  more  interest,  the  deer  with 
long,  branching  antlers,  sleek  spotted  sides  and 
funny  heads,  or  the  group  of  odd  little  Eskimo 
children,  with  their  plump  dark  faces,  dressed  in 
furry  parkies  and  boots,  tumbling  gleefully  around 
in  the  snow, 

Wednesday,  November  seventh:  The  weather 
is  beautifully  clear  and  sunny  today,  with  charming 
sky  effects  at  sunrise  and  sunset.  Red,  yellow  and 
crimson  lines  stretched  far  along  the  eastern  hori- 
zon, cut  by  vertical  ones  of  lighter  tints,  until  a 
big  golden  ball  climbed  up  higher,  and  by  his  ia- 
creased  strength  warmed  the  whole  snowy  land- 
scape. -  A  few  hours  later,  this  great  yellow  ball, 
looking  bright  and  clear-cut,  like  copper,  sank 
gently  beneath  the  long  banks  of  purple-red  clouds 
massed  in  artistic  and  majestic  confusion.  Every- 
thing, at  this  time,  was  enveloped  in  the  cooler, 
quieter  tints  of  purple  and  blue,  and  hills,  peaks, 
and  icy  bay  all  lay  bathed  in  exquisite  color. 

The  two  Eskimos  brought  the  reindeer  back 
from  the  Home  today,  stopped  for  lunch,  and  then 
went  on  their  way  to  the  herd  again.    Ricka,  Alma 


236  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

and  Aliss  J.  went  out  as  far  as  the  cliff  for  a  ride 
on  the  sleds  behind  the  deer,  but  I  felt  safer  in- 
doors. Ricka  says  when  the  animals  dashed  over 
the  big  bank,  out  upon  the  ice  near  the  cliff,  she 
thought  her  last  hour  had  come.  At  first  the  deer 
trotted  steadily  along  on  the  trail,  but  going  faster 
and  faster  they  rushed  headlong  through  the  drifts, 
dragging  the  sleds  on  one  runner,  and  tearing  up 
the  snow  like  a  blizzard  as  they  went,  until  it 
seemed  to  the  two"  girls,  unused  to  such  riding  as 
they  were,  that  the  animals  were  running  away, 
and  they  would  be  certainly  killed. 

Miss  J.  was  quite  used  to  this  kind  of  traveling, 
and  made  no  outcry,  but  Alma  and  Ricka  finally 
got  the  natives  to  stop  the  deer  and  let  them  get 
off  and  walk  home,  saying  it  might  be  great  fun 
when  one  was  accustomed  to  it. 

The  sleds  used  by  the  natives  are  called  reindeer 
sleds  because  made  especially  for  use  when  driving 
deer.  They  are  close  to  the  ground,  and  very 
strongly  built,  as  they  could  not  otherwise  stand 
the  wear  and  tear  of  such  "rapid  transit."  Side 
rails  are  put  on,  but  no  high  handle  bar  at  the  back, 
and  when  a  load  is  placed  upon  the  sled  it  is  lashed 
securely  on  with  ropes  or  thongs  made  of  seal  or 
walrus  hide;  otherwise  there  would  be  no  load  be- 
fore the  journey  was  completed. 

Mr.  H.  says  he  has  long  experience  with  them, 
but  never  feels  quite  sure  that  an  animnl  will  do 
what  is  wanted  of  him,  though  when  driven  by  na-. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  237 

tives  who  are  well  used  to  their  tricks  and  antics, 
especially  if  the  animals  have  reached  mature  age, 
they  make  good  travelers,  and  get  over  the  ground 
very  fast.  A  hundred  miles  a  day  is  nothing  to 
them  if  the  snow  is  not  too  deep  and  their  load 
reasonable. 

Men  and  dog-teams  are  coming  into  camp  from 
Nome  each  day  now,  and  say  that  the  trails  are  in 
first-class  condition.  We  hope  for  mail  soon  from 
Nome,  Mr.  H.  came,  bringing  with  him  a  Swedish 
preacher,  who  is  wintering  here,  though  not  offi- 
cially connected  with  the  Mission.  He  is  a  sweet 
singer,  liking  well  to  accompany  his  Swedish  songs 
upon  the  guitar  or  organ,  for  he  plays  both  instru- 
ments. 

Mr.  L.  left  at  six  in  the  morning  for  the  Home, 
walked  there  and  back,  and  arrived  at  six  in  the 
evening.  He  went  to  ask  Mr.  H.  if  he  and  the 
others  could  have  reindeer  with  which  to  go  to 
Koyuk  River  on  a  prospecting  trip.  He  gave  his 
consent  and  they  think  of  starting  next  week.  They 
think  there  may  be  some  good  creek  up  there  that 
would  do  to  stake,  and  the  clerk  is  going  with 
them. 

We  have  jolly  times  each  evening  singing,  visit- 
ing and  knitting.  My  black  stocking  grows  under 
my  needles  a  few  inches  each  day,  and  will  be  warm 
and  comfortable  footwear  under  my  muckluks 
surely. 

November  eighth :  Some  ptarmigan  were  brought 


238  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

in  today,  which  are  the  first  birds  of  the  kind  I  have 
seen,  and  they  are  beautiful.  They  look  like  snow- 
white  doves,  only  larger,  with  silky  feathers  and 
lovely  wings.  They  are  soon  to  be  cooked,  for 
they  are  the  Arctic  winter  birds  and  make  good 
eating.  We  are  all  blessed  with  ravenous  appe- 
tites. 

A  man  was  killed  with  a  club  last  night  in  a 
drunken  brawl,  in  a  hotel  near  by.  He  only  lived 
a  few  hours  after  getting  hurt,  but  it  is  said  that 
the  other  killed  him  in  self  defense.  Both  the 
United  States  marshal  and  the  commissioner  were 
away  at  the  time.  It  is  a  pity  they  were  not  at 
home,  for  the  affair,  perhaps,  would  then  have  been 
prevented.  There  are  probably  not  more  than  one 
hundred  white  persons  in  the  camp  altogether,  but 
there  must  be  fully  half  as  many  Eskimos,  and  they 
are  always  coming  and  going.  There  are  several 
saloons  (one  kept  by  a  woman),  a  large  hotel  and 
one  or  two  smaller  ones,  besides  two  or  three  com- 
pany's stores  and  a  few  log  cabins  and  native  huts, 
besides  the  Mission. 

The  boys  want  to  get  off  as  soon  as  possible  for 
Koyuk,  but  fear  they  will  have  to  go  to  Nome  for 
camp  stoves  and  pipe,  as  there  are  none  to  buy 
here.  They  brought  wood  from  the  beach  today 
on  the  sleds,  and  there  is  no  lack  of  fuel  here,  nor 
of  strong,  willing  arms  to  gather  it.  It  seems  a 
long,  long  time  to  wait  without  hearing  from  the 
home  folks.     I  wonder  how  it  seems  to  them.     I 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  239 

only  wish  they  could  see  how  comfortably  and 
happily  we  are  situated,  and  what  jolly  times  we 
have,  for  it  would  do  their  hearts  good.  Few  are 
so  favored  in  all  Alaska,  of  that  I  am  certain. 

Saturday,  November  tenth:  I  have  sewed  all 
day  on  a  canvas  coat  for  Mr.  B.,  Alma  helping  with 
the  cutting.  He  wants  it  to  put  on  over  his  fur 
parkie  to  keep  the  snow  and  rain  off  it,  and  has 
himself  made  the  loops  and  fastenings.  He  whit- 
tled out  the  buttons  from  small  pieces  of  wood, 
twisted  cord  to  loop  over  them,  and  put  them  all 
firmly  on  the  coat  so  that  it  looks  well,  and  will 
be  serviceable.  I  put  a  good-sized  hood  of  the 
same,  with  a  fur  border  around  the  face,  on  the 
coat,  and  it  will  be  a  good  garment  to  hunt  ptarmi- 
gan in,  for  it  is  the  color  of  snow,  and  the  birds 
cannot  see  him. 

The  visiting  preacher  has  had  an  experience  in 
being  in  the  water,  and  from  it  has  contracted 
rheumatism  in  one  limb,  which  he  is  nursing,  so 
he  sits  by  the  fire  and  plays  and  sings  for  us  while 
we  sew.  He  is  very  pleasant,  and  all  seem  to  like 
him.  The  weather  is  not  cold  and  Miss  J.  and  Mr. 
H.  started  out  with  reindeer  for  the  Home  at 
seven  in  the  morning.  It  was  a  singular  sight  to 
see  them  when  leaving.  All  the  little  natives  in 
fur  parkies  stood  around,  watching.  The  two 
sleds  were  loaded  with  baggage,  and  Miss  J.  sat 
on  the  top  of  one  of  them,  holding  the  rope  that 
went  under  the  bodv  of  the  deer  and  around  his 


240  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

head  and  horns  for  a  harness.  This  deer  was  tied 
to  the  back  of  the  sled  in  front  of  him,  and  Mr.  H. 
went  ahead  having  hold  of  the  rope  that  was  fast- 
ened to  the  first  deer. 

Sunday,  November  eleventh:  We  are  having  a 
heavy  and  wet  snow  storm.  All  stayed  in  until 
three  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  attended  church 
service  in  the  school-house.  I  played  the  organ, 
the  Swedish  preacher  read  the  Scriptures,  and  Ivan 
interpreted.  We  sang  hymns  and  songs,  and  the 
hour  was  enjoyed  by  all,  though  the  preacher  did 
not  feel  quite  well  enough  acquainted  with  the  Eng- 
lish to  preach  in  that  tongue,  and  Mr.  H.  was  away. 
There  were  about  twenty  natives  present,  and  ten 
or  twelve  people,  Miss  E.  remaining  at  home  to  get 
the  dinner.  I  went  in  thought  over  the  great 
waters  to  my  Southern  home,  where  today  the 
churches  are  decorated  with  palms  and  floral  beau- 
ties, and  I  saw  the  friends  in  their  accustomed 
seats — but  I  was  not  there.  Thousands  of  miles 
away  to  the  frozen  north  we  have  come,  and  little 
do  we  know  if  we  shall  ever  see  home  again.  Tears 
came  to  my  eyes,  but  I  kept  them  hidden,  for  none 
shall  say  I  am- homesick;  I  am  glad  to  be  here.  I 
have  faith  to  believe  that  the  Father's  loving  watch- 
care  will  be  still  further  extended,  and  I  shall  reach 
my  homeland  and  friends  some  time  in  the  future. 
November  thirteenth:  Weather  is  warm,  wet, 
and  sunny.  Water  is  running  in  the  bay  and  snow 
is  soft  under  foot.  I  worked  this  afternoon  on  a 
mitten  pattern  for  myself,  assisted  by  Alma.    Evi- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  241 

dently  pattern  making  was  intended  for  others  to 
do,  for  though  my  spirit  is  as  willing  as  possible, 
the  flash  is  very  weak  in  that  direction;  but  I  did 
finally  get  a  mitten,  thumb  and  all,  that  looks  not 
half  bad.  This  was  banner  day  for  my  laundry 
work,  and  my  handkerchiefs  have  been  ironed  for 
the  first  time  since  I  sailed  from  San  Francisco. 
Heretofore  I  was  in  luck  to  get  a  time  and  place 
in  which  to  wash  them.  At  half-past  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  when  it  was  too  dark  to  sew  longer, 
Alma,  Ricka  and  I  went  out  upon  the  beach  to 
meet  the  boys  who  had  been  gathering  wood,  and 
we  walked  a  half  mile  over  the  rough  trail  of  ice 
blocks,  drifts  and  hummocks. 

We  floundered  on  through  all  until  we  saw  them 
coming,  and  then  sat  resting  on  some  logs  until 
they  came  up.  Two  of  Mr.  H.'s  dogs,  Fido  and 
Muckaleta,  had  followed  us,  and  ran  at  our  heels 
playing  in  the  snow,  which  was  more  than  one  foot 
deep  in  places.  The  boys  had  found  a  long  ladder 
on  the  beach,  probably  from  some  wreck,  and  they 
had  brought  it  on  the  sled  with  the  wood.  It  was 
most  difficult  work  hauling  the  sled  over  the  un- 
even trail,  and  all  were  pufifing  and  perspiring  when 
they  reached  home. 

A  little  prayer  meeting  was  afterwards  held  in 
the  kitchen  during  which  Mr.  H.  and  Miss  J.  came 
in  from  the  Home  with  reindeer,  tired  and  hungry. 
We  spent  a  pleasant  evening  visiting,  singing  and 
knitting. 


242  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

A  man  has  come  from  Nome,  and  says  that  the 
steamer  bringing  Mission  supplies  from  San  Fran- 
cisco was  obUged  during  the  last  hard  storm  to 
throw  some  of  its  cargo  overboard,  and  part  of  the 
Mission's  stores  were  thus  lost.  All  are  sorry  to 
hear  this,  as  it  means  a  shortage  of  necessary 
things,  like  furniture  for  the  Home,  where  much  is 
needed. 

November  fourteenth:  Miss  J.  has  taken  in  two 
more  little  Eskimos,  a  girl  and  a  boy.  First  of  all, 
she  cuts  their  hair  close  to  their  heads,  then  each 
has  a  good  bath  in  the  tub,  and  they  are  dressed  in 
clean  clothing  from  head  to  foot,  and  fed  plenti- 
fully. This  was  their  program,  and  they  look 
very  happy  after  it,  and  evidently  feel  as  well  and 
look  better.  This  boy  seems  to  be  about  ten  years 
old,  and  the  girl  a  little  older,  but  it  is  not  cus- 
tomary among  the  Eskimos  to  keep  account  of 
their  ages,  and  so  nobody  really  knows  how  old 
any  one  is. 

Alma  has  cut  over  a  big  reindeer  skin  parkie 
for  the  visiting  preacher,  and  a  fur  sleeping  bag  for 
Miss  J.,  while  Ricka  has  made  a  fine  cap  for  Mr. 
H.  of  dog's  skin,  lined  with  cloth.  This  morning 
when  the  men  went  out  to  the  hills  where  their  two 
reindeer  had  been  tied  in  the  moss,  the  animals 
were  gone,  and  Ivan  returned  fearing  that  they 
had  been  stolen,  but  when  Mr.  H.,  G.  and  B. 
went  to  look,  they  found  no  men's  footprints,  and 
concluded  that  they  had  broken  away  and   gone 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  243 

back  to  the  herd,  as  their  tracks  went  in  that  direc- 
tion. ]\Ir.  H.  went  on  after  them,  and  the  two 
boys  came  home  wet  with  perspiration  from 
floundering  about  in  the  deep,  soft  snow,  and  wear- 
ing their  heavy  rubber  boots.  I  gave  them  coffee 
when  they  got  back. 

I  have  sewed  on  my  new  mittens,  and  done  some 
knitting,  besides  tending  the  baby,  who  runs 
quickly  from  one  thing  to  another  like  any  other 
mischievous  child,  getting  into  first  one  thing,  and 
then  some  other,  which  must  be  coaxed  away  from 
her  by  management.  I  usually  do  this  by  giving 
her  some  new  plaything,  if  I  can  possibly  find  any 
article  she  has  never  yet  had.  A  box  of  needles, 
buttons  and  thread  she  likes  best  of  anything 
I  have  yet  found,  and  a  grand  reckoning  day 
will  come  before  long  when  Alma  finds  the 
little  Eskimo  has  been  amusing  herself  with  her 
property. 

Mr.  G.  found  a  part  of  somebody's  outfit,  con- 
sisting of  clothing  and  tin  dishes,  on  the  beach  to- 
day. Miss  J.  held  a  little  meeting  again  in  the 
kitchen  for  the  natives  after  supper,  and  is  very 
happy  over  having  the  two  new  little  Eskimos. 

This  is  our  fourth  week  in  the  Mission,  and  pleas- 
ant and  happy  ones  they  have  been,  at  least,  if 
there  have  been  vexations  to  some,  they  have  suc- 
ceeded admirably  in  keeping  them  out  of  sight. 

November  fifteenth:  The  weather  is  still  warm, 
wet   and    slippery   under    foot.      This    morning    a 


244  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

young  man  called  from  Nome,  with  a  letter  from 
Mary,  saying  she  is  coming  by  dog-team  as  soon 
as  the  trails  are  good. 

The  commissioner  called  today  to  get  the 
preacher  to  officiate  at  the  funeral  of  the  man  who 
was  killed,  but  it  was  postponed  until  tomorrow, 
because  the  grave  could  not  be  finished  before 
dark.  The  commissioner  sat  for  half  an  hour, 
and  chatted  in  the  sitting  room. 

November  sixteenth:  All  hands  are  at  work  now 
for  the  children,  and  overalls,  waists  and  shirts  for 
the  little  boys  as  well  as  garments  for  the  girls  are 
on  the  docket.  The  big  boys  fished,  and  got  smelt 
and  tom-cod.  B.  sewed  at  mittens  for  himself, 
and  G.  took  the  church  organ  to  pieces  to  clean 
and  repair  it.  Mr.  M.,  who  has  been  at  work  on 
the  Home,  has  come  here  to  spend  the  winter. 
I  wish  he  would  set  to  work  and  catch  some  of  the 
mice  which  infest  the  house,  and  run  over  me 
when  I  am  asleep  in  the  night  time. 

A  meeting  for  the  natives  in  the  house  again  to- 
night, and  the  doors  had  to  be  left  open  on  ac- 
count of  the  pungent  seal  oil  perfume  from  the 
garments  of  the  Eskimos. 

The  man  who  was  killed  was  buried  today  in 
the  edge  of  the  little  graveyard  on  the  hillside. 
The  Swedish  preacher  was  asked  to  go  to  the 
grave,  and  he  did  so,  reading  a  Psalm,  and  offering 
a  prayer.  Only  four  or  five  men  were  present. 
It    is    a    stony,    lonely    place,    without    a    tree    in 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  245 

sight;  the  few  scattering  graves  having  only 
wooden  slabs  for  head  boards.  Being  just  above 
the  beach,  the  spot  commands  a  view  of  the  bay 
in  front,  but  it  is  now  all  a  snow  and  ice  desert, 
and  the  most  dreary  place  imaginable.  Very  little 
was  known  of  the  murdered  man,  and  no  goo  1 
could  be  said  of  him,  but  it  is  supposed  that  he  has 
a  wife  and  children  somewhere. 

What  a  dreadful  ending!  Will  his  family  ever 
know  what  has  become  of  him,  and  is  his  mother 
still  living?  If  so,  I  hope  they  may  never  learn 
of  his  horrid  death  and  worthless  life  in  Alaska. 
He  was  never  conscious  for  a  moment  after  being 
hurt,  so  they  know  nothing  as  to  where  to  write  to 
his  relatives.  It  makes  one  shudder  to  think  of  it! 
He  may  have  been  a  good  and  bright  child  be- 
loved by  parents  and  brothers,  but  the  drink  curse 
claimed  him  for  its  own. 

The  weather  is  clear,  with  sunshine  and  frost. 
The  visiting  preacher  has  been  making  himself  use- 
ful for  a  few  days  by  helping  us  in  cutting  out  over- 
alls and  blouses  for  the  Eskimo  boys.  Down  on 
his  knees  upon  the  floor,  with  shears,  rolls  of 
denim,  and  a  pair  of  small  trousers  to  pattern  by, 
he  has  wielded  the  little  steel  instrument  to  good 
purpose,  and  encouraged  and  assisted  us  greatly. 

With  their  new  clothes,  the  children  are  all  quite 
well  pleased,  for  they  are  fresh  and  sweet.  The 
missionaries  are  trying  very  hard  to  teach  them 
cleanliness  among  other   things,  and   they   some- 


246  How  the  Long  Days  Passed 

times  come  and  stand  in  the  doorway  and  look  at 
us  sewing,  their  faces  always  good  natured,  and 
showing  more  or  less  curiosity.  When  told  to 
run  away  to  play,  they  obey  quickly,  and  little  Pete 
and  the  others  like  to  keep  the  wood  boxes  filled 
to  help  us.  The  older  girls,  being  from  ten  to 
twelve  years  of  age,  are  often  caring  for  and  amus- 
ing Bessie,  and  she  is  fond  of  them,  until,  like  any 
other  child,  she  cannot  have  her  own  w^ay,  and 
then  she  disapproves  of  them  by  kicking  and 
screaming  till  Miss  J.  comes  to  settle  the  busi- 
ness. 


CHAPTJ&R  XVIII. 


S'WA.RMING. 


RCTIC  explorers  have  always  found  it 
^L  a    difficult    matter    to    keep    pleasantly 

and  profitably  employed  during  the 
long  winter  months,  and  I  have  often 
wondered  how  it  would  be  with  our- 
selves. So  far,  there  seems  to  be  no 
scarcity  of  employment  for  all  hands, 
neither  is  there  any  prospect  of  it. 
For  the  men  there  is  always  the  beach- 
wood  to  collect,  haul  and  saw  up  into 
firewood,  not  to  mention  the  splitting  with  an 
axe,  which  is,  I  believe,  as  hard  work  as  any  of 
it,  and  there  is  water  to  bring  in  barrels  each  day 
or  two  from  Chinik  Creek,  a  mile  away,  for  drink- 
ing and  cooking  purposes.  The  barrels  are  put 
upon  sleds  and  hauled  by  the  men  themselves,  or 
by  the  dogs  if  they  happen  to  be  here,  and  are  not 
at  work.  As  to  the  reindeer,  of  course  there  can 
be  no  such  thing  as  making  them  haul  either  wood 
or  water,  for  none  could  be  found  steady  enough, 
and  should  the  experiment  be  tried,  there  are  ten 
chances  to  one  that  not  a  stick  of  wood  would  re- 
main upon  the  sleds,  nor  a  drop  of  water  in  the 
barrels,  while  the  distance  between  creek  and 
Mission  was  being  made. 


248  Swarming 

Of  course  there  is  always  enough  for  women  to 
do  if  they  are  housekeeping,  and  with  sewing,  knit- 
ting and  what  recreation  we  take  out  of  doors,  we 
fill  in  the  time  very  well.  It  is  much  better  and 
pleasanter  to  be  employed,  and  the  time  passes 
much  more  rapidly  than  when  one  is  idle,  and  I 
for  one  enjoy  the  change  of  work  and  the  winter's 
outlook  immensely.  Compared  to  what  we  have 
done  in  Nome  during  the  summer,  this  is  child's 
play,  and  the  boys  who  have  worked  at  real  mining 
say  the  same  thing, 

November  seventeenth:  We  have  had  our  first 
lady  visitor  today  who  came  from  White  Moun- 
tain about  fifteen  miles  away.  She  is  the  lady 
doctor  who  brought  Miss  J.  through  typhoid  fever 
last  fall,  and  is  much  at  home  here.  She  was  sent 
for  by  a  sick  woman  in  the  hotel,  and  will  spend  the 
night  with  Miss  J.,  who  is  very  kind  to  her.  The 
visiting  preacher  left  for  the  Home  this  morning 
very  early,  going  with  a  native  and  reindeer.  Mr. 
L.  and  B.  were  called  in  to  the  jury  trial  of  the 
murderer  who  killed  the  man  in  the  hotel  the  other 
night,  and  they  got  home  late.  The  girls  were  out 
upon  the  ice  in  the  evening  for  exercise,  getting 
tired  of  being  indoors  all  day  long,  and  needing 
fresh  air.  When  all  were  in  at  half -past  eleven  in 
the  evening,  cofTee  and  crackers  were  taken  by  all 
but  me,  but  I  have  had  to  leave  oflf  drinking  coflfee, 
taking  hot  water  with  cream  and  sugar  instead.  B. 
says  he  thinks  the  latter  too  stimulating. 


^>\ 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  249 

This  has  been  a  bright  and  cold  Sunday  for 
November  eighteenth.  Mr.  H.  walked  in  to  nine 
o'clock  breakfast  from  the  Home,  coming  by  dog- 
team,  and  looked  well  dressed  and  smiling.  No 
service  was  held  until  evening,  so  we  went  out  for 
a  walk  upon  the  hill  behind  the  house.  B.  and  L. 
left  us  to  go  and  examine  some  wood  that  natives 
were  hauling  away  from  the  beach,  thinking  it  was 
some  of  theirs,  for  each  stick  is  marked,  so  they 
know  their  own;  but  it  proved  not  to  be  their  wood, 
and  the  two  then  came  home  another  way. 

While  out,  we  walked  through  the  small  burial 
ground,  and  saw  the  new-made  grave  of  the  mur- 
dered man.  O,  how  desolate  was  that  spot!  A 
few  mounds,  stones,  snow  and  bleak  winds  forever 
blowing.  Here  we  read  a  headboard,  upon  which 
was  the  name  and  age  of  good  old  Dr.  Bingham 
of  New  England,  who  died  here  years  ago,  and 
whose  wife  planted  wild  roses  upon  the  grave.  I 
wonder  if  we  will  see  them  in  bloom  next  summer, 
or  will  we»  be  under  the  snow  ourselves  like  these 
others. 

For  our  dinner  today  we  ate  fried  tom-cod, 
baked  potatoes,  tomatoes,  pickles,  bread  and  but- 
ter, and  rice  pudding.  I  feel  positive  that  nothing 
could  have  tasted  better  to  our  home  folks  in  the 
States  who  have  more  fruit  and  vegetables  than 
did  this  plain  and  homely  meal  to  us,  eaten  with 
the  heartiest  appetites  gotten  out  of  doors  while 
walking  in  the  snow.    The  ice  in  the  bay  is  getting 


250  Swarming 

firmer,  and  will  continue  to  grow  thicker  all  winter, 
being  in  the  spring  at  breaking-up  time  many  feet 
through,  no  doubt,  as  it  was  in  Minnesota  in  the 
Red  River  of  the  North  when  I  lived  there.  I 
am  glad  that  I  am  a  cold  climate  creature,  and  was 
born  in  winter  in  a  wintry  state,  for  I  will  be 
sure  to  endure  Alaska  weather  better  than  I  other- 
wise would. 

This  evening  we  had  service  again  in  the  church 
or  schoolhouse,  and  the  room  was  quite  filled. 
The  woman  doctor  was  there,  also  the  storekeeper 
and  the  United  States  Marshal,  besides  our  own 
family,  and  a  good  many  natives.  Mr.  H. 
preached,  and  was  interpreted  in  Eskimo  as  usual. 
I  wish  some  of  my  fastidious  friends  on  the  out- 
side could  have  seen  the  cosmopolitan  company  of 
tonight. 

The  refined  and  serious  face  of  the  storekeeper, 
the  black-eyed  doctor  (woman),  the  fair-faced 
Swedes,  and  the  square-jawed,  determined  of^cial, 
made  a  striking  contrast  to  the  Eskimos  dressed  in 
fur  parkies  and  smelling  of  seal  oil.  Many  of  the 
latter  continually  carry  small  children  on  their 
backs  underneath  their  parkies,  a  heavy  belt  or 
girdle  of  some  sort  keeping  the  youngster  fromi 
falling  to  the  ground,  but  the  smaller  ones  are  sel- 
dom brought  out  in  the  evening.  These  women 
s(|uat  upon  the  floor  as  often  as  they  sit  upon  a 
ili.'iir,  and  when  a  baby  cries  from  hunger  he  is 
l)romptly   fed   on    ahmahnnik    (mother's   milk),    re- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  251 

gardless  of  the  assembled  company.  With  an 
Eskimo  mother  nothing  comes  before  the  child's 
wishes,  and  if  the  latter  only  succeeds  in  making 
his  desires  known  to  her,  she  will  obey  them  to  the 
letter.  That  there  are  unruly  Eskimo  youngsters, 
goes  without  saying,  as  a  child  does  not  need  a 
white  skin  to  help  him  understand  this,  and  arrange 
his  tactics  accordingly. 

The  Mission  is  crowded  to  its  utmost,  but  I  be- 
lieve the  hearts  of  the  good  missionaries  are  made 
of  elastic. 

When  we  reached  the  house  after  service  this 
evening  we  heard  that  a  mail  was  expected,  and 
would  leave  for  Dawson  tomorrow,  so  we  set  to 
work  to  write  letters,  and  then  found  it  all  a  mis- 
take, for  it  is  only  going  to  Nome  from  LJnalaklik, 
and  we  were  all  disappointed. 

The  weather  today,  November  seventeenth,  is 
a  great  surprise  to  us.  It  is  raining,  and  so  icy 
under  foot  as  to  be  positively  dangerous  to  life  and 
limb.  I  had  occasion  to  go  out  for  a  while  this 
forenoon,  and  knew  no  better  than  to  wear  my 
muckluks,  which  are  smooth  as  glass  on  the 
bottoms.  To  make  things  more  lively,  the  wind 
blew  a  gale  from  the  northeast. 

When  I  left  the  house,  I  was  going  in  the  same 
direction  as  the  wind,  and  though  I  nearly  fell 
many  times  I  kept  stubbornly  on,  determined  not 
to  be  vanquished.  On  my  return — then  came  the 
"tug  of  war."       Near  the  warehouse   a   gust   of 


252  Swarmingf 

wind  took  me  unawares,  and,  whisk!  in  a  minute 
I  was  sprawling  flat  upon  the  ice.  I  had  gone  out 
with  my  Indian  blanket  over  my  head  and  shoul- 
ders, and  this  blew  out  like  a  sail,  upsetting  my  tall 
and  slippery  footed  craft,  and  bumping  me  igno- 
miniously. 

I  now  tried  to  rise,  but  could  not.  Turn  as  I 
would,  using  my  hands  to  steady  me,  I  only  made 
a  vain  effort  to  get  upon  my  feet,  as  I  slipped 
each  time  quite  flat  again.  Thinking  to  turn 
first,  and  get  upon  my  knees,  I  tried  that,  but 
rolled  like  a  fuzzy  caterpillar  in  a  ball  upon  the 
ice.  Then,  alas,  I  regret  to  relate  it,  but  I  really 
began  to  feel  a  little  vexed.  I  began  calling  loudly, 
supposing  that  someone  in  the  house  would  hear 
me,  and  come  to  my  assistance;  but  the  wind  car- 
ried my  voice  away  faster  than  I  could  throw  it, 
and  that  availed  me  nothing.  At  no  other  time 
since  my  arrival  at  the  Mission  I  felt  certain  had 
there  been  so  long  a  lull  between  the  passing  of  its 
inmates  through  its  doors;  but  now,  because  of  my 
present  strait,  they  all  remained  indoors. 

In  the  meantime  I  had  thrown  my  hands  out 
suddenly  into  water  which  stood  in  little  pools  in 
depressions  of  the  ice  around  me,  and  I  lay  there 
getting  more  vexed  than  ever.  Again  I  tried  to 
rise,  but  failed.  A  stranger  would  suppose  me 
tipsy,  to  be  sure,  and  I  glanced  around  to  make 
certain  no  one  saw  me.  Finally  the  door  opened, 
and  Miss  L.  came  out. 


A  Woman   Who  Went — To  Alaska  253 

"What  is  the  matter?"  and  she  began  laughing 
at  my  predicament. 

"Matter  enough!"  I  shouted,  "Can't  you  see? 
I  can't  get  up  to  save  my  life.  Do  come  and  help 
me,"  and  I  began  struggling  upon  my  slippery  bed 
again  to  convince  her. 

Still  she  only  laughed,  standing  in  the  wind  with 
her  hands  upon  her  hips  in  order  to  keep  her  bal- 
ance. 

"Do  come  and  help  me,"  I  begged,  "or  go  in 
and  send  one  of  the  boys,  for  I  shall  stay  here  all 
day  if  you  do  not." 

When  she  had  her  laugh  out,  she  came  forward 
and  assisted  me  to  my  feet,  and  into  the  house, 
where  I  finally  smoothed  my  ruffled  feathers,  and 
recovered  my  equanimity,  telling  Miss  L.  I  would 
pay  her  back  in  her  own  coin  when  I  got  the  oppor- 
tunity. 

A  native  has  come  with  reindeer  to  carry  a  load 
of  goods  to  the  Home,  but  cannot  leave  on  account 
of  the  icy  trail  until  tomorrow,  or  whenever  it 
freezes  again. 

Today  is  November  twenty-first,  and  the  weather 
is  still  soft  and  bad  under  foot,  so  the  family  cannot 
move  to  the  Home  until  the  trail  is  in  better 
f^ondition.  B.  shot  more  ptarmigan,  and  we  had  a 
dinner  of  them,  which  was  excellent.  They  al- 
most seem  too  pretty  to  kill,  but  fresh  meat  is 
scarce  nowadays,  and  we  must  take  it  when  we  can 
get  it. 


254  Swarming 

November  twenty-second  has  come,  and  with 
it  colder  weather.  It  is  five  degrees  below  zero, 
and  the  sun  shines.  The  doctor  from  White  Moun- 
tain has  been  helping  Miss  J.  to  pack  her  large 
medicine  chest  ready  for  moving,  as  many  of  these 
supplies  will  be  left  in  this  house. 

Since  the  days  are  colder  we  have  most  beautiful 
skies  at  sunrise,  though  we  now  keep  the  lamps 
burning  until  half-past  eight  in  the  morning. 

We  have  heard  that  the  Nome  mail  is  in,  but  it 
brought  nothing  to  me.  We  are  writing  letters 
to  send  out  the  first  chance  we  get,  whenever  that 
will  be,  but  nobody  knows  so  far. 

The  Commissioner  called  today  and  told  us  of  a 
new  strike  at  the  headwaters  of  Fish  River;  a 
man  and  woman  coming  down  to  record  a  bunch  of 
twenty  claims  having  given  the  information.  The 
woman  runs  a  road  house  on  the  Neukluk  River, 
and  wants  to  take  an  Eskimo  boy  to  raise,  and 
teach  to  work — 'probably  it  is  mostly  the  latter, 
though  she  seemed  a  kindly  person.  Miss  J.  told 
her  that  she  had  no  boy  to  give  away. 

The  Marshal  and  the  man  in  the  old  school- 
house  started  with  dogs  to  Norton  Bay  today 
for  a  short  trip,  so  we  hear.  The  wife  of  the  man 
went  with  small  Eskimo  boys  to  the  bay  to  fish 
for  tom-cod. 

Alma  is  making  a  fur  sleeping  bag  of  reindeer 
skins  for  the  teacher,  so  when  she  travels  she  can 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  255 

have  it  to  sleep  in  nights.  It  is  very  heavy  to  hold 
and  handle  while  sewing. 

Two  men  called  who  have  been  shipwrecked  in 
Norton  Bay,  and  told  of  the  H.  family,  consisting 
of  the  father,  mother  and  little  daughter  whom 
I  have  seen  in  Nome.  They  lost  all  their  clothing, 
but  saved  part  of  their  "grub,"  and  we  have  made 
up  a  package  of  clothing  to  send  to  the  woman  and 
child  by  the  men  who  are  going  back  there.  In 
the  darkness,  one  night,  they  say  the  schooner 
"Lady  George"  went  aground  on  the  mud  flats  of 
Norton  Bay,  the  tide  rising  soon  after,  and  all  hav- 
ing to  fiee  for  their  lives  to  nearby  ice,  from  which 
they  went  ashore  to  a  log  hut  long  ago  deserted. 
The  child,  who  is  about  twelve  years  old,  is  now 
without  clothing,  and  winter  is  coming  on. 

The  fates  are  hard  on  some  people,  surely,  and 
this  little  girl  lately  from  San  Francisco,  the  public 
school,  and  piano  lessons,  is  left  with  her  parents 
in  an  Arctic  wilderness  in  winter  without  clothing 
or  shelter,  except  a  poor  broken  hut,  and  a  few 
men's  garments  generously  donated.  The  men 
say  that  her  mother  is  almost  wild  over  it,  and 
they  thought  at  first  that  she  would  go  insane,  but 
the  brave  little  child  does  all  she  can  do  to  com- 
fort her  mother,  and  the  men  begged  us  to  send 
them  some  things.  Among  the  clothing  we  sent 
I  put  in  a  few  school  books,  a  slate,  some  pencils, 
and  a  Bible,  which  may  be  of  use  in  lonely  hours. 


256  Swarming 

They  may  read  the  good  book  now  if  they  never 
have  before.    They  are  Swedish  people. 

It  is  three  degrees  below  zero  today,  November 
twenty-fifth,  clear,  bright  and  cold.  Mr.  H.  came 
with  a  man  and  his  dog-teams  to  move  the  whole 
family  tomorrow  to  the  Home.  All  are  delighted 
to  go  there,  as  we  are  to  remain  here.  The  ship- 
wrecked men  called  again  to  tell  us  more  fully 
about  their  experiences,  and  are  now  going  back 
to  their  camp.  They  certainly  had  an  awful  time, 
but  they  are  glad  and  thankful  to  have  come  out 
alive,  and  we  are  also  glad  for  their  sakes. 

Two  of  the  Commissioners  have  been  here,  one 
from  fifty  miles  away,  wanting  to  buy  a  reindeer  for 
his  Thanksgiving  dinner,  but  Mr.  H.  would  not 
sell  one.  He  has  been  very  urgent,  and  called  a 
number  of  times,  but  Air.  H.  is  firm  in  refusing. 
Our  good  dinner  today  was  made  up  of  mutton 
stew  with  onions,  baked  potatoes,  tomatoes,  fruit, 
soup,  bread,  butter  and  coffee.  I  have  taken  a  few 
kodak  views  today  of  Miss  J.  and  the  Eskimo  baby, 
Bessie,  and  hope  they  will  be  good. 

November  twenty-sixth:  It  is  ten  degrees  below 
zero,  but  the  whole  household  was  up  early  this 
morning  to  move  over  the  ice  to  the  new  Home. 
Four  big  dog  sleds  were  piled  high  with  household 
things,  the  baby  was  tucked  into  a  fur  sleeping  bag, 
with  only  her  head  out,  at  which  she  howled  lustily, 
Miss  J.  running  beside  the  team  to  comfort  her. 
while  Mr.  H.,  his  assistant  and  Ivan,  with  Mr.  G. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  257 

of  our  party,  ran  ahead  of  the  dogs.  Breakfast 
was  eaten  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  all 
was  hurly  burly  and  excitement  till  they  had  gone. 
Ricka,  Alma  and  I  ran  out  to  the  beach  to  see  them 
off  upon  the  ice,  as  then  they  would  have  fair 
traveling,  but  we  were  afraid  they  would  tip  every- 
thing over  at  the  bank  where  the  drifts  are  high, 
and  blocks  of  ice  piled  in  places.  Everything  was 
lashed  tightly  down,  however,  and  no  accident  oc- 
curred. All  the  children  but  Bessie  ran  alongside 
the  sleds  to  keep  warm,  and  they  had  lunches  with 
them  to  eat  when  they  were  hungry.  When  the 
smaller  ones  grew  tired,  I  suppose  they  rode  for  a 
while  on  the  sleds.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  the  bright  sun  shone  directly  in  our 
faces  as  we  stood  waving  good-bye  to  them,  really 
sorry  to  see  them  leave  us.  The  hills,  almost  bare 
of  snow,  lay  pink  and  lovely  under  the  sunshine. 

After  lunch,  M.  went  out,  slipped  on  the  ice  and 
fractured  his  collar  bone.  The  Dawson  man  in  the 
old  schoolhouse  (who  claims  to  be  a  doctor), 
brought  him  indoors,  but  poor  M.  was  pretty  pale. 
The  man,  with  G.'s  help,  attended  to  his  hurt,  put 
his  arm  in  a  sling,  and  he  is  lying  on  the  lounge 
looking  serious,  but  not  discontented  nor  suffer- 
ing severely. 

We  were  not  to  have  so  small  a  familv  many 
hours,  as  we  found  at  about  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon today,  when  there  was  a  great  commotion 
at  the  door.    There  were  men's  voices,  a  woman's 


258  Swarming 

jolly  laughter,  and  the  quick  barking  of  dogs,  glad 
to  reach  their  journeN-'s  end,  and  when  we  opened 
the  door  to  those  knocking,  there  were  Mary  and 
two  friends  from  Nome,  with  their  dog-teams.  In 
they  came,  laughing,  talking  and  brushing  the  frost 
oflf  their  parkies,  glad  to  get  here,  and  hungry  from 
traveling,  so  we  gave  them  a  warm  welcome,  and 
good  hot  coffee  and  supper. 

Then  Mary  (real  Viking  that  she  is,  and  from 
Tromso,  in  Norway,)  related  the  story  of  her  jour- 
new  by  dog-team.  Eighty-five  miles,  they  call  it, 
from  Nome  by  water  to  Chinik,  but  overland  it  is 
probably  farther.  Nights  were  spent  in  the  road 
houses,  she  said,  but  there  was  little  sleep  to  be 
had  in  them,  for  they  were  crowded  and  noisy,  and 
she  was  thankful  the  trip  was  now  ended,  and  she 
had  safely  arrived. 

The  two  young  men  who  came  with  her  seem 
nice,  honest  fellows,  and  I  am  acquainted  with  one 
of  them  from  seeing  him  at  the  "Star"  many  times, 
where  he  often  ground  coffee  to  help  evenings, 
or  chatted  in  the  kitchen  when  we  worked. 

From  Nome  they  had  brought  two  sled  loads, 
on  one  of  them  a  cook  stove  for  the  winter,  as  the 
big  range  in  use  here  now  will  go  later  to  the 
Home,  besides  which  they  had  food  supplies  and 
stove  pipes. 

At  night  Mr.  L.  came  back  from  the  reindeer  sta- 
tion, saying  that  they  can  have  four  reindeer  for 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  259 

their  prospecting  trip  to  the  Koyuk  River,  and  they 
are  making  up  their  party  to  go  there. 

November  twenty-seventh:  I  was  washing  the 
dishes  this  morning  in  the  kitchen,  when  Mr.  L. 
came  quietly  to  say  he  will  take  my  attorney  paper 
and  stake  a  gold  claim  for  me.  He  will  do  his 
best,  he  says,  for  me  as  well  as  the  others,  for  which 
I  cordially  thanked  him,  and  flew  on  wings  to  get 
the  desired  paper  made  out,  as  the  others  were 
also  doing. 

At  half-past  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  to- 
day the  lamps  were  lighted,  and  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  a  mail  got  in  from  Nome,  but 
brought  no  letters  for  me,  as  all  steamers  have  long 
since  stopped  running,  and  I  am  not  correspond- 
ing with  any  one  at  Nome.  I  wonder  when  I  will 
hear  from  my  home  folks? 

Our  legal  documents  cost  us  each  $2.50. 

November  twenty-eighth:  This  has  been  a  fine 
day  out  of  doors,  and  a  busy  one  indoors.  Mr. 
H.  with  a  man  and  two  natives  came  with  the  dog- 
teams  to  take  what  household  stuff  they  could 
carry,  and  they  took  the  organ  with  the  rest.  I 
hated  to  see  it  go,  but  we  are  to  have  the  one  in 
the  church,  which  G.  has  just  cleaned  and  brought 
into  the  house,  as  the  frost  in  that  building  is  bad 
for  it.  They  loaded  their  sleds,  then  ate  a  lunch  at 
half-past  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
started.  The  two  boys  from  Nome  also  left  for 
that  place,  they  being  quite  rested,  as  well  as  their 


26o  Swarming 

dogs.  Drilling  parkies  they  wore  to  "mush"  in, 
their  furs  and  other  traps  being  lashed  to  the  sleds; 
and  bidding  us  good-bye,  one  ran  ahead,  and  the 
other  behind  the  dogs. 


chaptx;r  xix. 


NEIV  QUARTERS. 

FTER  thinking  for  some  time  of  doing 
JjL  so,  I  finally  decided  to  call  at  the  hotel 

and  ask  the  captain  and  his  wife  if  I 
might  not  teach  their  little  black-eyed 
girl  English,  as  Miss  J.'s  leaving  de- 
prives her  of  a  teacher.  The  woman 
was  not  in  when  I  called,  but  the  child's 
father  seemed  to  think  favorably  of  my 
plan,  and  said  he  would  consult  with 
his  wife,  so  I  hope  to  get  the  child  for 
a  pupil. 

B.  and  G.  have  moved  all  their  things  into  the 
house  from  the  schoolroom,  and  Ricka  hung  the 
clothes  she  has  been  all  day  washing  out  there  to 
dry.  There  is  a  small  stove  in  which  a  fire  is  often 
made  to  dry  them  more  quickly.  It  is  most  con- 
venient to  have  such  a  place  for  drying  clothes,  as 
it  is  impossible  to  get  them  dry  outside  on  the  lines 
in  the  frost  and  snow. 

We  spent  the  evening  pleasantly  together  in  the 
sitting  room,  listening  to  B.'s  jokes,  and  Mary's 
stories;  of  Nome  and  the  "trail." 

For  our  Thanksgiving  dinner  we  h''d  canned 
turkey,  potatoes,  tomaroes.  pickles,  fruit  soup, 
bread,  butter  and  coffee,  trying  hard  not  to  think 


262  New  Quarters 

of  our  home  friends  and  their  roast  turkeys  and 
cranberries.  However,  the  dinner  was  a  good  one 
for  Alaska,  eaten  with  relish,  and  all  were  jolly 
and  very  thankful,  even  M.,  with  his  sore  collar- 
bone, laughing  with  the  rest. 

November  thirtieth:  Mr.  H.  came  with  a  man, 
two  natives,  seven  reindeer  and  four  sleds  to  take 
more  furniture  away.  They  all  ate  dinner  here, 
and  I  took  some  kodak  views  of  the  animals  with 
Alma,  Ricka,  Mary,  G.  and  a  native  driver  in  the 
sunshine  in  front  of  the  Mission.  Mary  goes  up 
to  the  animals  and  pets  them,  as  does  Ricka,  but  I 
keep  a  good  way  off  from  their  horns,  as  they  look 
ugly,  and  one  old  deer  has  lost  his  antlers,  with 
the  exception  of  one  bare,  straight  one  a  yard 
long,  which,  with  an  angry  beast  behind  it,  would, 
however,  be  strong  enough  to  toss  a  person  in  mid- 
air if  the  creature  was  so  minded. 

There  has  been  some  hitch  in  the  arrangements 
of  the  men  going  to  the  Koyuk  River,  and  there  is 
a  delay,  but  they  will  get  ofi  some  day,  because  L. 
never  gives  up  anything  he  attempts  to  do,  and  I 
like  him  for  that.  If  more  people  were  like  this, 
they  being  always  certain  that  they  were  started 
in  the  right  direction,  the  world  would  be  the  better 
for  it. 

December  first:  Mr.  B.  is  making  bunks  in  two 
rooms  upstairs,  as  the  house  is  so  full  all  the  time. 
Tliis  will  give  quite  a  little  more  lodging  room, 
for  cots  cannot  be  provided  for  all,  neither  is  there 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  263 

room  for  so  many,  but  with  bunks,  one  above  an- 
other, it  will  furnish  lodgings  for  all  who  come. 

Our  two  fisher  women  went  out  again  this  after- 
noon, and  got  tom-cod  through  the  ice  by  the  cliff, 
near  the  snow-buried  river  steamers. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  called  oa 
the  captain's  wife,  and  found  her  sewing  furs.  For 
her  helper  she  had  her  cousin  Alice,  the  coy,  plump 
Eskimo  girl,  who  traveled  to  San  Francisco  with 
her  last  year.  Both  women  sat  upon  fur  rugs  on 
the  floor,  as  is  their  custom  when  sewing,  and 
they  were  sorting  bright  beads,  and  cutting  moose- 
iiide  into  moccasins  and  gauntlet  gloves,  to  be 
decorated  with  beads  in  the  fashion  of  the  Yukon 
River  Indians. 

I  had  no  difBculty  in  arranging]  for  lessons  with 
the  captain's  wife,  who  would  also  study  with  her 
little  girl,  she  said,  and  she  showed  me  school 
books,  slates,  etc.,  they  had  already  b^en  using. 
If  their  piano  were  only  here,  the  child,  who  is  a 
pretty  little  thing,  with  a  sweet  smile,  might  take 
music  lessons,  but  it  cannot  be  brought  over  the 
winter  trail. 

We  had  snow  today,  but  no  church  .«;ervice.  We 
rested,  sang,  read,  ate  and  slept.  A  fine  dinner  of 
reindeer  roast,  with  good  gravy,  mashed  potatoes, 
etc.,  for  our  two  o'clock  meal,  was  eaten  and  well 
relished;  but  in  spite  of  all,  the  day  seemed  a  long 
one  for  some  reason.  We  wonder  how  things  are 
going  on  the  outside  and  if  the  friends  we  love  but 


264  New  Quarters 

cannot  hear  from  are  well,  happy,  and  think  some- 
times of  us. 

The  Commissioner  came  to  say  that  he  would 
bring  the  Recorder,  or  Commissioner,  from  the 
Koyuk  district  with  him  to  call  this  evening,  and 
he  did  so.  The  latter  is  a  middle-aged  man,  whose 
family  lives  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  he  himself 
being  a  native  born  Norwegian,  but  having  lived 
in  the  States  for  twenty  years.  They  brought  two 
United  States  marshals  with  them,  and  one  of  them 
played  on  the  guitar  quite  well,  though  I  thought 
I  detected  a  scent  of  the  bottle  when  he  sang  his 
songs.    He  has  a  good  voice,  but  untrained. 

Yesterday  it  was  fifteen  degrees  below  zero,  but 
grew  warmer  toward  night,  and  began  snowing. 
Today  it  snowed  quite  hard  until  dark.  Along  the 
shore  huge  blocks  of  ice  lay  heaped  promiscuously, 
and  deep  drifts  rolled  smoothly  everywhere.  When 
I  grew  tired  walking  I  stopped  a  moment  and 
listened.  There  was  no  sound  but  the  beating  of 
my  own  heart.  This,  then,  was  our  new  Arctic 
world.  How  wonderfully  beautiful  it  was  in  its 
purity  and  stillness !  Look  whichever  way  I  would, 
all  was  perfect  whiteness  and  silence.  When  I 
walked  the  snow  scarcely  creaked  under  my  feet. 
Above,  beneath,  around,  it  was  everywhere  the 
same.  It  was  a  solemn  stillness,  but  ineffably  sweet 
and  tender.  It  was  good  to  live.  A  feeling  of 
sweetest  peace  and  happiness  swept  over  me,  and 
tears  sprang  to  my  eyes.      Was  this  heaven?     It 


WIXTF.R    PROSPECTING 


A  Woman  Who*  Went— To  Alaska  265 

almost  seemed  like  it,  but  glancing  toward  the  grave 
of  the  murdered  man  on  the  hillside  I  remembered 
that  this  could  not  be.  Farther  down  the  shore  line, 
when  I  started  to  go  home,  I  saw  the  smoke  of  the 
cabins,  through  the  veil  of  the  snow  flakes. 

While  giving  Jennie  her  lessons  this  afternoon 
the  Commissioner  came  in  to  say  that  he  would  like 
me  to  do  some  copying  for  him,  for  as  yet  he  has 
no  rlerk,  and  needs  one.  I  told  him  I  would  do 
the  work  if  I  might  take  it  home,  and  could  get  a 
quiet  corner  by  myself.  I  hardly  see  how  I  am  to 
manage  that  while  there  are  so  many  people  in  the 
house,  but  I  shall  try  it,  for  I  would  like  to  earn 
the  money. 

This  morning  it  was  three  degrees  above  zero; 
yesterday  it  was  fitteen  below. 

A  full  moon  hung  high  in  the  sky  this  morning 
until  nine  o'clock.  Weather  is  warm  and  beautiful, 
with  rosy  clouds  at  sunrise,  but  it  grew  colder  by 
noon. 

Among  other  things  Mary  has  brought  from 
Nome  is  her  little  hand  sewing  machine,  which  is 
an  old-fashioned  thing,  to  be  fastened  to  a  table  and 
the  wheel  turned  by  hand.  It  was  brought  from 
the  old  country,  and  looks  quite  well  w^orn,  but  is 
still  useful  and  far  better  than  no  machine,  if  it 
does  have  a  chain  stitch  which  is  liable  to  rip  easily. 
We  have  a  lot  of  amusement  with  this  machine,  for 
when  A.lma  is  sewing  and  one  of  the  boys  happens 
to  be  idle  about  her  she  makes  him  turn  the  wheel 


266  New  Quarters 

while  she  guides  the  cloth  and  watches  the  needle. 

Others  besides  myself  are  wearing  muckluks  by 
this  time,  though  not  all  have  come  to  them,  the 
felt  shoes  being  worn  in  the  house  some  by  the  girls 
until  severe  cold  forces  them  into  the  native  boots 
of  reindeer  skin. 

In  her  rooms  at  the  hotel  Mollie  sits  with  Alice 
each  day  on  the  fur  rugs,  cutting,  sewing  and  bead- 
ing moccasins  and  moosehide  gloves.  A  regular 
workshop  it  is.  Boxes  of  thread,  beads,  scraps  of 
fur,  whole  otter  skins,  paper  patterns,  shears,  bits 
of  hair  and  fur  scattered  upon  the  floor,  and  the 
walls  covered  with  hanging  fur  garments;  this  is 
the  sewing-room  of  the  captain's  wife  as  it  is  now 
each  day  when  I  go  there.  The  room  contains  two 
large  windows,  one  on  the  north  side  and  one  on 
the  west,  at  which  hang  calico  curtains  tied  back 
with  blue  ribbons  in  daytime.  These  women  work 
very  rapidly,  with  the  thimble  upon  the  first  finger 
and  by  pushing  the  three-cornered  skin  needle 
deftly  through  skins  they  are  sewing.  The  thread 
they  use  for  this  work  is  made  by  them  from  the 
sinews  of  reindeer,  and  takes  hours  of  patient  pick- 
ing and  rolling  between  fingers  and  palms  to  get 
spliced  and  properly  twisted,  but  when  finished  is 
very  strong  and  lasting.  Their  sewing  and  bead 
work  is  quite  pretty  and  unique,  and  is  done  with 
exceeding  neatness  and  care,  though  not  much  at- 
tention is  bestowed  upon  colors. 

Friday,  December  seventh  has  been  a  busy  day 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  267 

all  round.  L.  and  B.  started  off  early  after  break- 
fast on  a  prospecting  trip,  and  the  girls  kept  at 
their  sewing.  Mr.  H.  came  from  the  Home  to  get 
the  sewing  machine  and  some  lumber,  and  was 
packing  up  nearly  all  day,  so  that  we  are  still  quite 
unsettled,  but  it  is  much  pleasanter  for  him  to  come 
■to  a  warm  house  and  where  he  gets  hot  meals  after 
his  twelve  miles  over  the  ice  with  the  deer  or  dogs^ 

He  left  here  at  four  in  the  afternoon  and  had 
been  gone  only  an  hour  when  Mr.  F.  and  another 
man  came  from  Nome,  on  the  way  to  Koyuk. 
Getting  well  warmed  and  eating  a  hearty  supper, 
which  was  much  enjoyed  after  some  days  on  the 
trail,  they  started  with  two  reindeer  and  as  many 
sleds  for  the  Home,  which  is  on  the  way  to  Koyuk. 
Another  hour  passed  and  two  women  and  their 
guide  from  White  Mountain  came  in,  these  belong- 
ing to  the  same  party  as  the  last  men  going  to  the 
Koyuk,  and  these  three  had  io  remain  over  night 
as  it  was  too  late  to  push  on  further.  The  men 
brought  their  fur  robes  and  blankets  from  their 
sleds,  threw  them  into  the  bunks  in  the  west  room, 
and  called  it  a  good  lodging  place  compared  to  the 
cramped  and  disorderly  road  houses  upon  the 
trails. 

December  eighth:  We  had  a  fire  fright  this 
morning,  which  was  not  enjoyed  by  any  one  in  the 
Mission,  Mary  had  gotten  up  early,  and  two  fires 
were  already  going,  one  in  the  kitchen  range  and 
one  in  the  sitting  room  heater  near  my  bed.    It  was 


268  New  Quarters 

still  dark  at  half-past  seven  and  I  was  awake,  think- 
ing seriously  of  dressing  myself,  though  there  was 
no  hurry,  for  Mary  was  the  only  one  yet  up,  when 
I  saw  a  shower  of  large  sparks  of  fire  or  burning 
cinders  falling  to  the  ground  outside  the  window. 
I  rushed  into  the  kitchen  telling  Mary  what  I  had 
seen,  and  she  ran  outside  and  looked  up  toward  the 
chimney.  Fire,  smoke  and  cinders  poured  out  in 
a  stream,  but  she  satisfied  herself  it  was  soot  burn- 
ing in  the  sitting-room  chimney. 

Coming  in,  she  pulled  most  of  the  wood  from  the 
heater,  scattered  salt  upon  the  coals,  and  by  this 
time  all  in  the  house  were  down  stairs,  asking  what 
had  happened. 

M.  says  he  will  also  take  my  attorney  paper  and 
stake  a  claim  for  me,  as  he  has  decided  to  go  to 
the  Koyuk  with  the  men  who  came  last  night  from 
Nome.  They  have  a  horse,  but  as  it  is  almost  worn 
to  the  bone  and  nearly  starved,  they  hardly  think 
he  can  travel  much  farther.  M.  wants  me  to  get 
him  some  location  notices  from  the  Commissioner 
when  I  see  him.  When  coming  home  from  Jennie's 
lesson  this  afternoon  I  was  turning  the  corner  of 
the  hotel  when  the  wind  took  me  backward  toward 
the  bay  for  thirty  feet  or  more,  and  deposited  me 
against  an  old  wheelbarrow  turned  bottom  upwards 
in  the  snow.  To  this  I  clung  desperately,  keeping 
my  presence  of  mind  enough  to  realize  my  danger 
if  blown  out  upon  the  ice  fifty  feet  away  and  below 
me,  where  I  would  be  unable  to  make  myself  either 


A  Woman   Who  Went — To  Alaska  269 

seen  or  heard  in  the  bhnding  storm  and  would 
soon  be  buried  in  the  snow  drifts  and  frozen. 

In  my  right  hand  I  carried  my  small  leather  hand- 
bag containing  a  dozen  or  more  deeds  and  other 
documents  to  be  recorded  for  the  Commissioner, 
and  if  the  wind  blew  this  from  my  hand  for  an  in- 
stant I  was  surely  undone,  for  it  would  never  be 
recovered,  I  now  clung  to  the  barrow  until  I  had 
regained  my  breath  and  then  made  a  quick  dash  for 
the  lee  or  south  side  of  the  hotel  out  of  the  gale, 
and  into  the  living-room  again.  Here  I  sat  down 
to  rest,  trembling  and  breathless,  to  consider  the 
best  way  to  get  home.  It  was  now  dark,  the  snow 
blinding,  and  the  gale  from  the  northeast  fearful. 
A  stout  young  Eskimo  sat  near  me,  and  I  finally 
asked  him  to  take  me  home,  to  which  he  consented. 

The  Mission  was  only  a  few  hundred  feet  away, 
but  to  reach  it  we  had  to  go  directly  into  the  teeth 
of  the  storm,  which  was  coming  from  the  north- 
east. 

Not  six  feet  ahead  of  us  could  we  see,  but  I 
trusted  to  the  sense  of  my  Eskimo  guide  to  lead 
me  safely  home,  and  he  did  it.  Motioning  me  to 
follow  him,  he  proceeded  to  pass  through  the  build- 
ing and  out  the  east  end  entrance,  notwithstanding 
that  he  led  me  directly  through  the  bar-room  of  the 
hotel,  where  the  idlers  stared  wonderingly  at  me. 
Once  outside  the  door,  he  grasped  my  right  arm 
firmly  and  we  started,  but  he  kept  his  body  a  little 


270  New  Quarters 

ahead  of  me,  and  with  side  turned  from  the  blizzard 
instead  of  facing  it. 

In  this  sidelong  way  we  struggled  on  with  all 
our  strength,  through  snow  drifts,  against  the  ele- 
ments in  the  darkness,  with  breath  blown  from  our 
bodies,  and  eyes  blinded  by  whirling  snow.  Now 
and  again  I  was  forced  to  stop  to  gain  breath  for  a 
fresh  struggle,  and  when  we  reached  the  Mission 
we  staggered  into  the  door  as  if  drunken.  I  now 
found  that  all  my  clothing  was  blow^n  so  full  of  fine 
snow  that  the  latter  seemed  fairly  a  part  of  the 
cloth,  would  not  be  shaken  out,  and  only  a  thor- 
ough drying  w'ould  answer.  A  good,  hot  cup  of 
cofifee  was  handed  to  each  of  us,  and  my  Eskimo 
guide  sat  until  rested,  but  I  think  I  shall  take 
Alma's  sage  advice,  and  in  future  remain  at  home 
during  blizzards. 

Of  course  M.  and  the  other  men  could  not  leave 
for  the  Koyuk  as  they  intended,  but  they  do  not 
appear  to  be  discontented  at  having  to  remain  un- 
der our  roof  longer,  as  they  seem  to  be  enjoying 
themselves  very  well,  and  say  it  is  all  really  home- 
like here  in  the  Mission. 

I  am  working  on  the  Recorder's  books,  and  like 
the  work  fairly  well. 

This  is  a  stormy  Sunday,  December  ninth,  but 
the  weather  is  not  so  bad  as  yesterday,  and  B.  and 
L.  came  bnck  from  the  Home.  We  have  eight  men 
here  today,  including  the  two  young  fellows  who 
have  been  at  work  on  the  Home  building,  and  who 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  271 

came  over  from  Nome  weeks  before  the  rest  of  us. 
This  is  the  first  time  they  have  been  here  since  we 
arrived.  They,  too,  are  Swedes,  as  are  all  these 
men  but  M.,  who  is  a  Finlander. 

For  dinner  we  had  reindeer  roast  with  flour 
gravy,  potatoes,  plum  butter,  rye  and  white  bread 
and  butter,  coffee  and  tapioca  pudding.  The  pota- 
toes taste  pretty  sweet  from  being  frozen,  but  are 
better  tlian  none.  We  have  had  music  from  the 
guitar,  mandolin  and  organ,  besides  vocal  exercise 
without  limit,  and  with  all  this  I  found  time  to  do 
some  Sunday  reading  in  Drummond's  Year  Book, 
and  have  well  enjoyed  the  day. 

The  thermometer  registers  thirteen  degrees  be- 
low zero,  and  at  half-past  eight  in  the  evening  the 
wind  was  not  blowing  much;  enough  blizzard  for 
this  time  certainly. 

While  talking  with  one  of  the  men  from  Nome 
I  asked  if  he  supposed  there  was  gold  in  the  Koyuk 
country,  and  he  thought  there  was.  As  he  was  up 
there  all  last  summer,  he  ought  to  know  the  pros- 
pects. It  appears  that  there  is  a  split  in  his  party, 
or  a  disagreement  of  some  kind,  as  is  quite  the 
fashion  in  Alaska,  and  some  of  the  men  are  to  re- 
main behind.  As  soon  as  the  weather  clears  suffi- 
ciently they  will  go  to  the  Home,  and  from  there 
leave  for  Koyuk  River. 

Monday,  December  tenth:  The  Commissioner, 
the  Marshal,  and  three  of  their  friends  came  in  to 
spend  the  evening  with  us,  and  one  of  the  strangers 


272  New  Quarters 

sang  well,  accompanying  himself  on  the  organ.  He 
also  belongs  to  a  party  made  up  to  go  to  Koyuk, 
but  failed  to  reach  that  point,  and  they  are  staying 
in  Chinik. 

I  bought  two  red  fox  skins  today  for  ten  dollars, 
but  will  have  to  pay  five  dollars  more  for  their 
cleaning  by  a  native  woman,  to  whom  I  have  given 
them  for  that  purpose.  It  is  the  only  kind  of  fur 
I  can  find  of  which  to  make  a  coat,  and  I  must 
have  one  of  skins,  as  the  wind  goes  straight 
through  cloth,  no  matter  how  thick  it  is. 

Six  of  our  household  w^ent  out  today  to  get  wood 
with  the  old  horse  and  sled,  but  the  poor  creature 
would  not  go,  probably  because  it  could  not.  They 
had  to  unload  a  good  many  times  and  were  gone 
five  hours.  Alma  and  Ricka  went  with  the  four 
boys  for  an  outing,  but  all  came  home  tired  and 
voting  the  horse  a  great  failure. 

This  morning  our  house  was  astir  very  earlv, 
and  the  men  were  getting  ready  to  "mush  on" 
towards  the  Koyuk.  Mr.  L.  goes  with  the  Mar- 
shal ,  the  clerk,  and  two  others,  taking  seven  dogs 
and  sleds  loaded  with  provisions.  It  is  a  sight  to 
see  the  preparations.  There  are  sacks  of  frozen 
tom-cod  for  the  dogs,  tents,  Yukon  stoves,  tin 
dishes,  snow  shoes,  sleeping  bags  and  robes,  coffee 
pots,  axes,  picks,  gold  pans  and  boxes,  cans  and 
bags  of  grub,  ad  infinitum. 

G.  and  B,  stay  behind  to  make    another    camp 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  273 

stove  but  will  leave  soon  for  Nome.  B.  cleaned  his 
gun  today,  and  looked  after  his  ammunition. 

Wednesday,  December  twelfth:  Our  sunset  was 
very  lovely  today  at  one  in  the  afternoon,  and  at 
three  o'clock,  when  I  began  with  little  Jennie's  les- 
sons we  had  to  light  the  lamp.  I  usually  go  into 
the  sewing-room  for  a  little  while  either  before  or 
after  the  lesson  to  watch  the  women  sew  furs. 

Alice,  the  younger,  is  as  quiet  as  a  mouse,  but 
the  captain's  wife  is  a  little  more  talkative,  though 
not  particularly  given  to  conversation.  Now  and 
then,  while  she  sews,  something  is  said  with  which 
she  does  not  agree,  and  she  bites  her  thread  off 
with  a  snap,  with  some  terse  remark  offsetting  the 
other,  or  with  a  bit  of  cynicism,  which,  with  a  quick 
glance  of  her  black  eyes  and  curl  of  the  lip,  is  well 
calculated  to  settle  forever  the  offender;  for  the 
captain's  wife  is  as  keen  as  a  briar,  and  reads  human 
nature  quickly.  I  should  say  she  is  gifted  with 
wonderful  intuitive  powers,  and  these  have  been 
sharpened  by  her  constant  effort  to  understand  the 
words  and  lives  of  those  around  her,  these  being  to 
such  an  extent  English  speaking  people,  while  she 
is  an  Eskimo.  Let  none  flatter  themselves  that  they 
can  deceive  Mollie,  for  they  would  better  abandon 
that  idea  before  they  begin.  She  impresses  me  as 
a  thoroughly  good  and  honest  woman,  and  I  am 
getting  to  respect  her  greatly. 

Two  of  the  boys  from  the  Home  spent  the  night 
in  the  Mission,  and  helped  with  sawing  wood  all 


274  New  Quarterfi 

forenoon  today.  They  went  from  Nome  to  assist 
at  building  the  Home,  and  came  over  here  for  the 
first  time  yesterday.  They  are  jolly  fellows,  and 
used  often  to  assist  us  in  the  "Star"  at  Nome,  one 
always  lightening  our  load  of  work  by  his  cheery 
voice  and  pleasant,  hopeful  smile.  He,  too,  is  a 
sweet  singer,  and  a  great  favorite  with  all.  After 
a  lunch  they  started  to  mush  back  to  the  Home 
over  the  ice,  promising  to  come  again  at  Christmas. 
B.  and  G.  finally  got  started  on  their  long,  cold  trip 
to  Nome  on  business. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


CHR.I5TMiV5  IN  ALASKA. 


HURSDAY,  December  thirteenth; 
^1*  The  old  Eskimo  whom  I  call  "grand- 
pa"  came  from  the  Home  with  one  of 
Mr.  H.'s  assistants  Tor  a  load  of  sup- 
plies for  the  place,  and  arrived  in  time 
for  breakfast  at  half-past  nine.  They 
loaded  up  the  sleds,  took  hot  cofifee, 
and  started  back  at  eleven  in  the  morn- 
ing. Mr.  M.  came  back  alone  before 
noon,  having  given  up  his  trip  to  the 
Koyuk  because  his  shoulder  hurts  him.  The  old 
horse  had  finally  to  be  killed,  and  Mr.  M.  decided 
that  he  did  not  want  to  take  his  place  at  hauling, 
so  turned  back  after  selling  part  of  his  supplies  to 
the  others.  The  weather  is  fine  indeed.  A  little 
snow  is  falling  this  afternoon,  but  there  was  a  beau- 
tiful sky  at  sunrise  and  sunset,  the  latter  at  half- 
past  one  o'clock. 

While  giving  Jennie  her  lesson  today  I  was  intro- 
duced for  the  first  time  to  little  Charlie,  who  spends 
a  good  deal  of  time  with  Jennie.  He  is  four  years 
old,  and  a  bright  and  beautiful  child.  His  papa  is 
an  Englishman,  and  his  Eskimo  mother  is  dead. 
After  the  lesson  I  read  stories  to  the  two  children, 
holding  the  little  boy  upon  my  lap,  while  Jennie  sat 


276  Christmas  in  Alaska 

beside  us  in  the  lamplight,  her  big  black  eyes  shin- 
ing like  stars.  She  wore  a  brown  serge  dress, 
trimmed  with  narrow  red  trimming,  her  hair  neatly 
braided  in  two  braids  down  her  back,  and  tied  with 
red  ribbons.  Both  children  wore  little  reindeer 
muckluks  on  their  feet,  the  boy  being  dressed  in 
flannel  blouse  waist  and  knee  pants.  They  are  a 
very  pretty  pair  of  children. 

Such  a  charming,  soft-tinted,  red,  purple  and  blue 
sky  today,  stretching  along  in  bars  above  the  snow- 
topped  mountains.  It  makes  one  glad  to  be  here, 
and  feel  full  of  pity  for  those  who  cannot  enjoy  it 
with  us.  It  is  good  to  enjoy  everything  possible 
as  one  goes  along,  for  nobody  knows  how  long 
anything  will  hold  out  and  what  will  come  next. 
At  noon  two  hungry  Eskimo  children  came,  dirty, 
forlorn  and  cold,  and  we  fed  them. 

Mr.  H.  came  again  toward  evening  with  reindeer 
to  get  a  load  of  supplies,  and  the  girls  and  M.  went 
fishing.  They  had  great  sport,  all  dressed  in  fur, 
with  short  fish  poles,  hooks,  bait  and  gunny  sack 
for  the  game,  coming  in  frosty  and  rosy  after  dark, 
and  calling  for  hot  cofYee. 

I  am  quite  interested  in  getting  the  fox  skins  for 
my  coat.  I  have  paid  the  Eskimo  girl  five  dollars 
for  tanning  my  fur  skins,  and  hope  to  have  a  warm 
coat.  My  first  three  skins  cost  me  twelve  dollars, 
the  next  two  ten  dollars,  and  now  five  dollars  for 
tanning,  but  I  have  a  lining,  and  MoUie  will  make 
it  for  me  next  week. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  277 

After  supper  we  had  a  caller  who  has  been  here 
once  before  with  others.  He  is  a  finely  trained 
baritone  singer,  and  comes  from  one  of  the  South- 
ern States.  He  sang  and  played  entertainingly  on 
the  organ  for  an  hour,  while  we  sewed  and  knitted 
as  we  do  each  evening. 

Saturday,  December  fifteenth:  Eight  weeks  to- 
day since  we  landed  at  Golovin  Bay.  Weather 
good,  skies  beautiful,  but  days  are  short.  Sunset 
at  half-past  one  in  the  afternoon;  sunrise  about  ten 
in  the  morning. 

The  Commissioner  came  with  legal  docurhents 
and  customary  jokes,  and  I  try  to  get  the  copying 
done  in  between  times.  He  is  going  to  Nome  for 
Christmas,  and  wants  the  papers  all  finished  before 
he  leaves.  He  is  considered  a  very  "rapid"  young 
man,  and  looks  like  it. 

Sunday,  December  sixteenth:  We  had  break- 
fast today  at  sunrise  (ten  in  the  morning)  and  I 
went  for  a  walk  alone  upon  the  ice  in  a  southerly 
direction,  where  the  natives  were  fishing.  There 
was  a  good  trail  which  has  been  made  by  a  horse- 
team  hauling  wood  from  the  other  shore,  and  the 
air  was  fine,  so  that  I  enjoyed  it  very  much,  though 
my  hood  was  soon  frosty  around  my  face.  For  a 
while  I  watched  the  natives  haul  tom-cod  up 
through  the  ice  holes,  but  having  no  place  to  sit 
except  upon  the  ice,  as  they  did,  I  returned  after 
having  been  gone  two  hours,  and  was  soon  dressed 
for  dinner  in  Sundav  suit. 


2jB  Christmas  in  Alaska 

After  dinner  Mr.  H.  arrived  with  the  teacher  to 
hold  an  evening  service  in  the  kitchen,  the  latter 
taking  Ricka  and  Mary  with  her  to  call  upon  some 
native  families,  two  of  whose  members  were  sick. 
When  they  returned  Ricka  was  full  of  laughter  at 
the  way  they  had  entered  the  native  igloos,  espe- 
cially Mary,  who  is  a  large  woman  and  could 
barely  squeeze  in  through  the  small  opening  called 
by  courtesy  a  door.  Ricka  says  it  was  more  like 
crawling  through  a  hole  than  anything  else,  and  at 
one  time  Mary  was  so  tightly  jammed  in  that  she 
wondered  seriously  how  she  was  ever  to  get  out. 

"Ugh!"  said  Ricka,  when  Mary  related  the  inci- 
dent, "that  was  not  the  worst  of  it.  I  wanted  to 
keep  the  good  dinner  I  had  eaten,  but  the  smell  of 
the  igloo  almost  made  me  lose  it  then  and  there, 
and  as  I  was  inside  already,  and  Mary  stuck  fast 
in  the  door  so  I  could  not  get  out,  we  were  both 
in  a  bad  plight.  When  I  tried  to  help  her  she 
would  not  let  me,  but  only  laughed  at  me." 

"Next  time  we  will  send  Mrs.  Sullivan,"  said 
Alma,  laughing. 

"And  you  go  along  with  me,"  said  I,  knowing  that 
I  could  stand  as  long  as  Alma  the  smell  of  the 
Eskimo  huts  and  their  seal  oil.  So  that  was  settled, 
Miss  J.,  I  presume,  thinking  us  all  very  foolish 
to  make  so  much  fuss  over  a  little  thing  like  that 
in  Alaska. 

This  evening,  when  the  kitchen  was  filled  with 
natives,  their  service  had  begun,  and  while  some  of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  279 

us  sat  in  the  sitting-room  to  leave  more  chairs  for 
the  others,  there  came  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  in 
walked  the  Commissioner  and  the  young  baritone 
singer,  who  was  persuaded  to  sing  a  few  solos  after 
the  meeting  was  through  in  the  kitchen. 

Monday,  December  seventeenth:  MoUie  is  cut- 
ting my  fur  coat  for  me,  but  says  I  must  have  one 
or  two  more  skins  to  make  it  large  enough.  She 
says  she  is  too  busy  to  study  before  Christmas,  but 
will  afterwards.  The  Commissioner  brought  more 
copying  for  me  to  do,  and  told  me  I  could  have  the 
•money  for  my  work  at  any  time.  Some  tell  me  he 
never  pays  anything  he  owes,  and  that  I  must  look 
sharp  or  I  will  not  get  anything.  The  other  Com- 
missioner has  invited  me  to  go  to  a  New  Year's 
party  at  Council,  fifty  miles  away,  saying  he  will 
take  me  there  and  back  behind  his  best  dogs,  but  I 
refused,  telling  him  that  I  never  dance,  and  that  I 
am  a  married  woman.  At  that  he  laughed,  said  he 
was  also  married,  with  a  wife  in  the  States,  but  that 
does  not  debar  him  from  having  a  good  time.  ^ 

Word  comes  of  a  new  gold  strike  not  far  away, 
but  I  think  w^e  are  not  really  sure  that  it  is  bona 
fide,  and  must  not  put  too  much  dependence  on 
what  we  hear.  The  Commissioner  comes  with  his 
copying,  and  is  full  of  jokes. 

Wednesday,  December  nineteenth:  A  man  came 
from  the  Home  yesterday  who  has  persuaded  M.  to 
go  with  him  on  a  short  staking  expedition.  They 
think  they  know  of  a  new  "find"  very  near  home. 


28o  Christinas  in  Alaska 

and  I  ran  over  to  the  Recorder's  to  get  two  attor- 
ney papers  made  out  for  them  to  take,  as  they  say 
they  will  stake  for  the  girls  and  me.  The  Com- 
missioner paid  me  twenty  dollars  on  copying,  and 
said  he  would  settle  the  remainder  when  he  got 
back  from  Nome,  as  he  and  the  other  Commis- 
sioner were  just  setting  out  with  a  dog-team  for 
that  place.  I  have  had  to  buy  another  fox  skin  for 
my  coat,  making  twenty-seven  dollars  paid  out  on 
the  garment  thus  far. 

Right  sorry  I  was  today  that  Mr,  H.  carried 
away  the  big  velvet  couch  yesterday  that  I  have 
slept  on  nights  since  coming  here,  and  I  tried  last 
night  the  wooden  settle  brought  down  from  up- 
stairs to  the  sitting-room.  I  found  it  a  most  un- 
comfortable thing  to  sleep  on,  as  my  feet  hung  at 
least  six  inches  over  the  end  of  the  lounge,  and 
they  were  icy  when  I  wakened  in  the  morning.  I 
then  decided  to  go  upstairs  to  one  of  the  canvas 
bunks  in  the  northeast  room,  and  I  find  it  much 
better  every  way.  The  bunk  is  long,  wide  and 
warm  enough  with  a  reindeer  skin  under  me,  and 
all  my  blankets  and  comforters  over  me,  while  I 
have  the  room  alone,  temporarily,  at  least. 

Saturday,  December  twenty-second:  This  is  the 
middle  shortest  day  of  winter,  and  a  fine  one,  too, 
though  we  had  not  more  than  three  and  a  half 
hours  daylight.  The  skies  arc  beautiful,  with  many^ 
l)right  color";  blended  in  a  most  wonderful  way. 

The  girls  are  hard  al  work  cooking  for  Christ-, 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  281 

mas,  and  while  the  boys  were  all  away  today  and 
we  needed  wood  brought  into  the  house,  I  rigged 
myself  in  rag-time  costume  and  fetched  several 
loads  in  my  arms.  How  the  girls  laughed  when 
they  saw  me,  and  declared  they  would  fetch  the 
kodak,  but  I  ran  away  again. 

This  afternoon  M.  and  the  other  man  returned 
from  their  little  trip,  looking  bright  and  happy 
over  having  staked  some  claims  for  themselves  and 
us  not  very  far  away.  These  are  our  first  claims 
staked,  and  we  naturally  feel  more  than  usually  set 
up,  though  the  men  say  of  course  there  may  be 
nothing  of  value  in  them. 

When  I  went  to  give  Jennie  her  lesson  I  heard 
her  father  and  another  man  talking  of  a  party  of 
live  persons  who  have  been  taken  out  to  sea  on  the 
ice,  near  Topkok.  They  started  about  three  days 
ago  from  here,  and  one  was  the  sick  woman  who 
has  been  at  the  hotel,  all  on  their  way  to  Nome  by 
dog-team. 

There  were  two  women  and  three  men,  two  dog- 
teams  and  sleds.  They  were  crossing  the  ice  be- 
tween two  points  of  land  while  upon  the  winter  trail 
to  Nome,  the  wind  had  loosened  the  ice,  and  when 
they  tried  to  get  upon  shore  again  they  found  it 
impossible,  and  they  were  blown  directly  out  to 
sea.  Without  food  or  shelter,  and  with  the  nights 
as  cold  as  they  are,  how  can  they  live  on  the  ice 
at  sea?  Some  men  have  arrived  bringing  the  news, 
and  say  that  two  men  went  out  in  a  boat  to  their 


282 


Christmas  in  Alaska 


rescue,  but  broke  their  oars,  the  ice  closed  in  on 
them,  they  were  soaked  through,  and  were  obhged 
to  use  their  best  efforts  to  save  themselves. 

The  following  night  was  vety  cold,  and  all  thinlc 
the  unfortunates  must  have  perished.  What  a  ter- 
rible fate,  and  one  that  may  happen  to  any  one  trav- 
eling in  this  country,  though  it  does  seem  as  if  this 
ice  should  soon  freeze  solidly. 

Sunday,  December  twenty-third:  Soon  after 
breakfast  today  a  man  came  to  our  door  asking 
for  iodine,  or  remedies  for  a  dog  bite.  A  mad  dog 
had  rushed  upon  a  man  sleeping  in  a  tent  in  the 
night  and  bitten  him  quite  severely  upon  the  hands 
and  leg.  Mary  and  I  put  on  our  furs  immediately 
and  started  out  with  the  man,  who  piloted  us  into  a 
small  saloon,  where  the  poor  fellow  sat  by  the  stove 
with  a  white  and  pinched  face. 

Several  other  men  were  standing  about,  after 
having  done  all  they  could  for  the  injured  man,  but 
Tvlary  washed  the  torn  flesh  in  strong  carbolic  acid 
water,  and  tied  it  up  in  sterilized  bandages,  for 
which  he  seemed  vcr}-  thankful. 

The  little  saloon  was  neat  and  clean,  containing 
a  big  stove,  six  or  eight  bunks  across  the  back  end, 
and  a  long  table,  upon  which  were  spread  tin 
plates,  cups  and  spoons.  A  short  bar  ran  along 
one  side  by  the  door.  The  men  said  that  the  mad 
dog  had  been  shot  immediately  after  the  accident, 
but  there  were  others  around  in  the  camp,  they 
feared. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  283 

I  could  easily  see  that  the  injured  man  was  badly 
frightened  as  to  the  after-effects  of  the  dog  bite,  and 
both  Mary  and  I  did  all  in  our  power  to  suggest 
away  his  fear,  knowing  well  that  this  was  as  harm- 
ful as  the  injury.  I  told  him  that  the  missionary, 
Mr.  H.,  had  had  a  great  deal  of  experience  with 
such  accidents,  but  never  yet  had  seen  a  person 
thus  bitten  suffer  from  hydrophobia,  which  ap- 
peared to  comfort  him  greatly. 

When  we  left  the  place  he  seemed  more  cheerful, 
though  still  very  pale,  and  Mary  promised  to  come 
again  to  see  him.  He  belongs  to  a  party  of  three 
men  bound  for  Koyuk  River.  The  young  man  who 
sings  so  well  sometimes  at  the  Mission  is  one  of  the 
three,  but  the  other  I  have  not  yet  seen. 

Later  on  Mary  and  I  called  upon  Alice,  the  Eski- 
mo girl,  who  lives  with  her  mother,  near  the  hotel, 
and  who  is  suffering  with  quinsy.  I  found  Jennie 
and  Charlie  there,  and  took  them  -out  for  a  walk 
down  on  the  beach,  where  the  little  girl's  aunt  was 
cutting  ice.  As  we  passed  the  A.  E.  Store  I  noticed 
a  dog  lying  on  the  porch  having  a  bloody  mouth, 
but  as  he  lay  quietly  I  did  not  think  much  about  it. 
After  we  had  passed  down  the  trail  for  a  block  or 
so,  I  heard  a  commotion  behind  us,  and  looking 
back  saw  a  young  man  rush  out  into  the  trail  and 
shoot  a  dog,  the  one,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  that 
I  had  seen  on  the  porch.  It  had  been  mad,  and 
snapping  around  all  day,  but  the  men  could  not  find 
it  earlier,  and  the  two    little    children    and  I  had 


Christmas  in  Alaska 


passed  within  a  few  feet  of  it  without  being  con- 
scious of  danger. 

Mr.  H.  came  in  to  supper,  also  two  others  from 
the  camp  of  the  shipwrecked  people,  thirty  miles 
away  to  the  east  of  us.  At  supper  one  of  the  men 
offered  to  stake  some  claims  for  us  over  near  their 
camp,  where  they  think  there  is  gold.  They  took 
our  names  on  paper,  and  said  that  after  prospect- 
ing, if  they  found  gold,  they  would  let  us  into  the 
strike  before  any  others.  They  will  remain  over 
night,  and  leave  early  in  the  morning.  Mr.  H.  and 
Mary  called  after  supper  to  see  the  man  who  was 
bitten  by  the  mad  dog,  and  found  him  looking  bet- 
ter, and  not  so  worried  as  this  morning.  His  friend 
was  playing  on  the  banjo,  and  all  were  sitting 
quietly  around  the  fire. 

Monday,  December  twenty-fourth:  The  two 
boys,  G.  and  B.,  came  in  late  last  evening,  tired 
and  hungry,  from  the  Nome  trail,  glad  to  arrive  at 
home  in  time  for  Christmas. 

Early  this  morning  Mary  dressed  herself  up 
hideously  as  Santa  Claus,  bringing  a  big  box  ol 
presents  in  while  we  sat  at  the  breakfast  table  anc 
distributing  them.  Of  course  there  were  the  regu- 
lation number  of  fake  packages,  containing  funn) 
things  for  the  boys,  but  each  one  had  a  present  o 
something,  and  I  had  a  souvenir  spoon  just  from 
Nome,  an  ivory  paper  knife  of  Eskimo  make  from 
the  girls,  and  later  a  white  silk  handkerchief. 

Going  into  the  sitting-room  after  breakfast,  we 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  285 

were  met  by  the  fumes  of  burnt  cork,  hair  or  cot- 
ton, and  upon  inquiry  were  told  that  Santa  Claus 
had  had  a  little  mishap;  his  whiskers  had  been 
singed  by  coming  into  contact  with  the  lamp  chim- 
ney and  that  it  had  delayed  matters  somewhat  until 
Ricka,  his  assistant,  could  find  more  cotton  on  the 
medicine  shelves;  but  the  end  of  all  was  hearty 
laughter  and  a  jolly  good  time;  an  effort  to  forget, 
for  the  present,  the  day  in  our  own  homes  thou- 
sands of  miles  away. 

This  morning,  before  noon,  all  in  the  Mission 
went  to  the  Home  to  the  Christmas  tree  and  exer- 
cises, leaving  me  alone  to  keep  house,  the  first  time 
this  has  happened  in  Alaska.  Mr.  H.  had  left  the 
dog-teams,  two  reindeer,  and  three  sleds,  with 
which  they  were  to  drive  over,  and  a  merry  party 
they  were.  When  they  had  gone  I  worked  for  some 
time  at  getting  the  rooms  in  order,  and  making  all 
as  tidy  and  snug  as  possible,  but  I  had  no  holly 
berries  nor  greens  with  which  to  decorate.  All  was 
snowy  and  white  out  of  doors,  and  a  cheerful  fire 
inside  was  most  to  be  desired.  In  the  afternoon  I 
gave  Jennie  her  lesson  as  usual.  I  am  invited  to 
eat  Christmas  dinner  tomorrow  with  Mollie,  the 
captain  and  little  Jennie,  and  shall  accept.  A  good 
many  in  camp  have  been  invited,  I  understand,  and 
I  am  wondering  what  kind  of  a  gathering  it  will  be. 

Tuesday,  December  twenty-fifth:  Christmas  Day, 
and  I  was  alone  in  the  Mission  all  night,  so  T  had 
to  build  mv  own  fires  this  morning.    I  did  not.  get 


286  Christmas   in  Alaska 

up  until  ten  o'clock,  as  it  was  cold  and  dark,  and  I 
had  nothing  especial  to  do.  There  is  plenty  of 
wood  and  water,  and  everything  in  the  house,  so  I 
do  not  have  to  go  out  of  doors  for  anything. 

By  noon  I  had  finished  my  work,  put  on  my  best 
dress,  and  sat  down  at  the  organ  to  play.  I  went 
over  all  the  church  music  and  voluntaries  I  could 
find  at  hand,  read  a  number  of  psalms  aloud,  and 
as  far  as  possible  for  one  person  I  went  through 
my  Christmas  exercises. 

If  a  certain  longing  for  things  and  people  far 
away  came  near  possessing  me,  I  would  not  allow 
it  to  make  me  miserable,  for  longing  is  not  neces- 
sarily unhappiness,  and  I  had  set  my  mind  like  a 
flint  against  being  dissatisfied  with  my  present 
state.  With  what  knowledge  I  possess  of  the  laws 
of  auto-suggestion,  I  have  so  far  since  my  arrival 
in  Alaska  managed  the  ego  within  most  success- 
fully, and  tears  and  discontent  are  not  encouraged 
nor  allowed. 

We  are  creatures  of  voluntary  habits,  as  well  as 
involuntary  ones,  and  habitual  discontent  and  dis- 
couragement, gnawing  at  one's  vitals  are  truly 
death-dealing.  The  study  of  human  nature  is,  in 
Alaska,  particularly  interesting  in  these  directions, 
to  the  one  with  his  mind's  eye  open  to  such  things, 
and  I  am  resolved,  come  what  will,  that  I  will  keep 
the  upper  hand  of  my  spirit,  that  it  shall  do  as  I  di- 
rect, and  not  harbor  "blues"  nor  discouragement. 

About   two   in  the   afternoon   in   came   M.   and 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  '287' 

one  of  the  visiting  Swedes,  after  having  walked 
from  the  Home,  where  they  had  attended  the 
Christmas  party,  and  they  were  well  covered  with 
icicles.  I  prepared  a  hot  lunch  for  them,  and  ate 
something  myself.  Later  a  native  was  sent  by 
Mollie  to  fetch  me  over  to  the  hotel  to  dinner,  it 
being  dark,  and  as  I  was  already  dressed  for  the 
occasion,  I  went  with  him. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  dining  room  they  were 
just  seated  at  table,  and  the  waiters  were  bringing 
in  the  first  course.  Twenty-five  persons  sat  at  the 
Christmas  board,  at  one  end  of  which  sat  the  cap- 
tain as  host,  with  his  wife  and  little  Jennie  at  his 
left.  At  his  right  sat  the  young  musician,  who  had 
entertained  us  at  the  Mission  several  times  with 
his  singing,  and  the  storekeeper,  but  with  a  place 
between  them  reserved  for  me. 

After  a  quiet  Christmas  greeting  to  those  around 
me,  I  took  my  seat,  and  the  dinner  was  then  served. 
A  bottle  of  wine  was  ordered  by  the  host  for  me, 
and  brought  by  the  waiter,  who  placed  it  with  a 
glass  beside  my  plate.  At  each  plate  there  had  al- 
ready been  placed  the  same  accompaniments  to  the 
dinner,  with  which  great  care  had  been  taken  by 
the  two  French  cooks  in  the  kitchen,  and  upon 
which  no  expense  had  been  spared  by  the  captain, 
who  was  host.  While  the  waiters  were  serving  the 
courses,  and  conversation  around  the  table  near  me 
became  quite  general,  on  the  aside  I  studied  the 
company.    It  was  cosmopolitan  to  the  last  degree. 


288  Christmas  in  Alaska 

.Opposite  me  sat  the  hostess  (MoUie)  with  her  httle 
'Jennie,  dressed  in  their  very  best,  the  woman  wear- 
/.ng  a  fashionable  trained  skirt,  pink  silk  waist  and 
diamond  brooch,  while  the  little  child  wore  light 
tan  cloth  in  city  fashion,  and  looked  very  pretty. 
Below  them  sat  the  regular  boarders  at  the  hotel, 
hotel  clerk,  the  bartender,  miners,  traders  and  the 
Vi'oman  who  kept  the  saloon.  The  latter  appeared 
about  thirty  years  of  age,  dark,  petite  and  pretty, 
richly  and  becomingly  gowned  in  garments  which 
might  have  come  along  with  her  native  tongue 
from  Paris.  On  our  side  of  the  long  table,  and 
opposite  this  woman,  sat  the  only  other  white  wo- 
man besides  myself  present,  and  she,  with  her  hus- 
band, the  two  neighbors  who  had  given  us  our  first 
sleigh  ride  behind  the  gray  horse.  On  this  side  sat 
more  miners  and  the  few  travelers  who  happened 
to  be  at  the  hotel  at  this  time.  The  clerk,  next  his 
employer,  who  sat  at  my  right,  and  the  musician 
on  my  left,  completed  the  number  of  guests,  with 
the  exception  of  the  one  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
board,  opposite  the  host.  This  was  a  young  man 
in  a  heavy  fur  coat,  his  head  drooping  low  over  his 
plate. 

"Don't  let  H.  fall  upon  the  floor,  boys,"  said  the 
captain,  as  he  saw  the  pitiable  plight  of  the  young 
man.  "Poor  fellow,  he  has  been  celebrating  Christ- 
mas with  a  vengeance,  and  it  was  too  much  for 
him,  evidently.  It  don't  take  much  to  knock  him 
out,  though,  and  this  wine,"  taking  up  his  wine 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  289 

glass  and  looking  through  the  liquid  it  contained, 
"won't  hurt  a  baby." 

"Do  you  ever  take  wine?"  politely  inquired  the 
musician  of  me,  as  he  noticed  that  my  wine  glass 
remained  untouched,  and  a  glass  of  cold  water  was 
my  only  beverage. 

"I  never  do,"  said  I  firmly,  but  with  a  smile,  as 
I  noticed  that  both  he  and  the  gentleman  at  my 
right  barely  touched  theirs,  while  others  drank 
freely. 

"Waiter,  bring  Mellie  another  bottle  of  that 
wine,"  called  the  bartender,  from  the  other  side  of 
the  table,  "those  bottles  don't  hold  nothin',  any- 
way, and  a  woman  who  can't  empty  more'n  one  of 
'em  ain't  much,"  and  a  second  bottle  was  handed 
the  female  dispenser  of  grog,  a  connoisseur  of  long 
standing,  and  one  who  could  "stand  up"  under  as 
much  as  the  next  person.  By  this  time  the  woman 
opposite  her  was  considerably  along  the  road  to 
hilarity,  and  shouts  and  laughter  came  from  both, 
called  forth  by  the  jests  of  their  companions  along^- 
side. 

Meanwhile  the  dinner  progressed.  The  turkey 
was  bona  fide  bird,  and  not  a  few  gull's  bones  from 
a  tin  quart  can.  while  the  cake  and  ice  cream  with 
which  my  meal  was  ended,  were  all  that  could  be 
desired  in  Alaska.  All  voted  that  the  cooks  had 
"done  themselves  proud,"  and  no  one  could  say 
that  Christmas  dinners  could  not  be  served  in 
Chinik. 


290  Winter  in  Alaska 

Before  rising  from  the  table,  at  the  close  of  the 
meal,  toasts  to  the  host  and  hostess  were  drunk 
bv  those  at  the  bottles,  and  Christmas  presents 
were  distributed  to  many,  principally  to  members 
of  the  family  and  from  boarders  of  the  house.  There 
were  silk  handkerchiefs,  red  neckties,  ''boiled 
shirts,"  and  mittens,  and  in  some  instances  moose- 
hide  gloves  and  mocassins,  made  by  the  Eslcimo 
hostess  herself,  while  "Mellie"  came  in  for  a  share, 
including  a  large  black  bottle  of  "choice  Bur- 
gundy." 

Upon  leaving  the  dining  table,  the  company  sep- 
arated, most  of  the  men  going  into  the  bar-room 
and  store,  while  the  family  and  invited  guests  re- 
paired to  the  living-room.  Here  a  good-sized 
(Christmas  tree  had  been  arranged  for  Jennie  and 
C'narlle,  and  their  presents  were  displayed  and 
talked  over.  In  the  meantime,  the  long  dining  table 
was  cleared  and  spread  again  for  the  Eskimos,  who 
soon  flocked  into  the  room  in  numbers. 

Some  one  proposed  that  we  go  to  the  Mission 
and  have  some  songs  by  the  musician,  to  which  all 
assented,  and  nine  of  us,  including  the  captain,  his 
wife  and  Jennie,  started  over  about  half-past  eight 
o'clock.  There  we  found  the  rooms  bright  and 
warm,  the  two  men  keeping  house  in  my  absence 
having  escaped  to  the  upper  rooms  on  hearing  the 
flirty  approaching.  Here  a  pleasant  hour  or  two 
were  passed  in  listening  to  the  songs  of  the  musi- 
cian, who  always  accompanies  himself  on  his  in- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  291 

strunient,  whether  banjo  or  organ.  He  sang  the 
"Lost  Chord,"  "Old  Kentucky  Home,"  and  many 
other  dear  old  songs,  closing  with  "God  Be  With 
You  Till  We  Meet  Again,"  and  the  doxology.  After 
that  they  pulled  on  their  parkies  and  fur  coats  and 
went  out  into  the  snow  storm  (for  by  this  time  the 
snow  was  falling  heavily),  and  to  their  homes,  while 
I  sat  down  alone  in  the  firelight  to  review  the  events 
of  the  day — my  first  Christmas  Day  in  Alaska.  How 
different  from  any  other  I  have  ever  spent,  Whai:  a 
disclosure  of  the  shady  side  of  human  nature  this 
is, — and  yet  there  is  some  good  intermingled  with 
it  all. 

Many  here  cannot  endure  the  stress  of  the  cur- 
rent, nor  pull  against  it,  and  so  float  easily  on 
towards  the  rapids  and  destruction.  Here  is  a  field 
for  the  Christian  worker,  though  Mr.  H.  says  he 
moved  his  little  flock  twelve  miles  across  the  bay 
in  order  to  get  it  farther  away  from  this  iniquitous 
camp. 


CHAPTBR  XXI. 


MY  FIRST  GOLD   CLAIMS. 


HRISTMAS  is  over  for  another  year, 
^*  and  this  is  December  twenty-sixth, 
with  its  daily  winter  routine.  After  I 
had  given  the  two  men  their  break- 
fast, I  went  out  for  a  walk  upon  the 
beach.  A  few  snowflakes  fell  upon  my 
face  as  I  walked,  and  it  was  not  cold 
but  pleasant.  There  was  a  red  and 
glowing  eastern  sky,  but  no  sunshine, 
and  I  looked  out  over  the  ice  to  see  if 
possibly  the  girls  were  returning.  Seeing  nothing 
of  them,  I  went  home  again.  About  two  o'clock 
M.  came  in,  saying  that  they  could  be  seen  far  out 
upon  the  ice,  and  we  must  build  the  fires  and  get 
dinner  started,  which  we  then  did.  Soon  Alma 
came  riding  on  a  reindeer  sled,  with  a  native  driver, 
getting  in  ahead  of  the  others,  who  arrived  half  an 
hour  later. 

Mr.  H.  has  come  with  two  of  his  assistants  and 
Miss  E.  by  reindeer  team  from  the  Home  on  their 
way  to  the  station,  where  the  animals  are  herded  in 
the  hills,  and  all  had  a  good  lunch.  After  spending 
two  hours  in  packing,  talking  and  resting,  they  left 
again,  Miss  E.  on  a  sled  behind  a  reindeer,  which 
was  driven  by  a  native,  and  which  tore  up  the  snow 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  293 

in  clouds  as  he  dashed  over  the  ice  northward  to 
the  hills.  I  ran  out  upon  the  clifif  to  see  them  on 
their  way,  being  quite  contented  that  it  was  not 
myself. 

I  have  learned  that  the  five  persons  who  drifted 
out  to  sea  on  the  ice  were  brought  back  by  the 
wind  and  tide,  and  escaped  safely  to  land,  after  be- 
ing at  sea  several  days,  but  were  unharmed,  and 
went  on  to  Nome.  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  this, 
as  they  have  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death. 

Friday,  December  twenty-eighth:  The  musician 
and  his  friend  who  was  bitten  by  the  mad  dog  called 
this  forenoon  at  the  Mission  to  get  the  man's 
wounds  dressed  by  Mary,  the  nurse.  His  hands 
are  much  better,  but  the  wounded  leg  may  yet  give 
him  trouble,  Mary  did  her  best  for  the  man,  who 
seems  to  be  growing  more  cheerful,  and  we  do  all 
possible  to  encourage  and  help  him,  lending  him 
reading  matter  of  various  kinds  with  which  to  pass 
his  time.  A  good  many  are  going  to  the  New 
Year's  party  at  Council,  among  them  the  captain 
and  his  wife,  and  the  musician;  but  I  shall  not  go, 
though  both  commissioners  have  urged  me  to  ac- 
cept their  invitations,  and  did  not  enjoy  overmuch 
my  refusals.  I  was  playing  ball  with  Jennie  and 
Charlie  before  our  lessons  today  when  the  party 
started  out  with  the  dog-teams,  for  the  nights  are 
very  moonlight  and  clear,  and  they  can  travel  for 
many  hours.  A  cousin  of  Mollie's,  by  name  Agee- 
tuk,  went  with  her.      Jennie  is  to  stay  with  her 


294  My  First  Gold  Claims 

auntie  until  her  mamma's  return,  and  I  will  give  her 
the  afternoon  lessons  just  the  same,  only  at  her 
auntie's  house.  When  the  lesson  was  finished  I  led 
Charlie  to  Ageetuk's  house,  where  her  mother  cares 
for  him  in  the  night  time,  and  left  Jennie  with  her 
auntie,  Apuk.  This  woman  has  a  neat  little  cabin 
of  three  small  rooms,  furnished  in  comfortable  fash- 
ion, with  a  pretty  Brussels  rug  covering  the 
floor  of  her  best  room,  in  which  is  a  white  iron 
bedstead,  a  good  small  table  with  a  pretty  cover,  a 
large  lamp,  white  dimity  curtains  at  the  windows 
over  the  shades,  and  in  the  next  room  there  are 
white  dishes  upon  the  shelves. 

Sunday,  December  thirtieth:  It  is  ten  weeks  yes- 
teray  since  we  arrived  at  Golovin,  or  Chinik,  as 
is  the  Eskimo  name  for  the  settlement,  and  pro- 
nounced Cheenik,  a  creek  of  the  same  name  flow- 
ing into  the  bay  a  mile  east  of  this  camp.  During 
the  day  I  went  to  look  after  Jennie  and  brought 
the  child  home  with  me,  giving  her  candy  and  nuts, 
and  playing  for  her  on  the  organ. 

This  evening  we  all  went  out  upon  the  ice  for  a 
walk.  We  took  the  trail  to  White  Mountain,  going 
in  a  northwesterly  direction,  and  enjoyed  it  very 
much.  We  passed  the  clifT,  and  the  boats,  the  snow 
creaking  at  every  step,  and  the  moonlight  clear 
and  beautiful.  We  were  out  for  two  hours,  and  felt 
l)etter  for  the  fresh  air  and  exercise.  All  old-timers 
say  that  it  is  bad  for  one's  health  to  remain  in- 
doors too  much  in  Alaska,  and  people  should  get 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  295 

out  every  day  for  exercise.  There  is  far  more  dan- 
ger of  getting  scurvy  by  remaining  in  the  house 
too  much  than  from  any  kinds  of  food  we  have  to 
eat,  and  none  of  us  wish  to  be  ill  with  that  trouble- 
some disease. 

About  five  o'clock  Miss  E.  came  in  with  a  native 
from  the  station  where  the  reindeer  are  kept,  hav- 
ing grown  tired  of  staying  in  a  native  hut  with  the 
Eskimo  women  while  the  missionary  was  busy  at 
work.  She  started  early  this  morning  when  thn 
weather  was  fine.  Lincoln,  the  experienced  native 
who  came  with  her,  knew  the  way  perfectly,  and 
they  expected  to  make  the  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
and  get  into  the  Mission  early,  but  the  weather 
suddenly  changed,  as  it  knows  so  well  how  to  do 
in  this  country,  the  wind  blew,  snow  fell  and  drifted 
and  though  they  came  safely  through  the  hills,  they 
lost  their  way  upon  the  bay  while  crossing  to 
Chinik,  and  wandered  for  hours  in  the  snow  storm. 

Having  no  lunch,  tent,  nor  compass,  and  no 
extra  furs,  they  found  themselves  in  a  disagreeable 
plight,  especially  as  the  snow  was  very  soft  and 
wet.  Thev  kept  on  traveling,  however,  until  they 
were  satisfied  that  they  were  going  in  circles,  as  do 
all  when  lost  in  a  snow  storm,  and  were  making  no 
progress;  then  they  halted. 

Here  thev  were  overtaken  by  two  white  men, 
lost  like  themselves,  who.  w^hen  the  matter  hao 
been  talked  over,  would  not  follow  the  native, 
thinking   they    knew   better   than   he  the   way  to 


296  My  First  Gold  Claims 

Chinik,  and  they  went  off  by  themselves.  Miss  E. 
says  that  both  she  and  Lincoln  had  given  up  hope 
of  getting  here  today,  but  she  knelt  upon  the  ice 
and  prayed  that  they  might  find  their  way  safely, 
then  trusted  that  they  would  do  so,  and  started. 
After  going  on  for  a  time  in  the  storm,  they  saw  a 
small,  deserted  cabin  not  far  from  them  which  Lin- 
coln instantly  recognized  as  one  upon  the  point  of 
land  only  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Chinik,  and 
they  were  happy. 

They  soon  came  into  the  Mission,  full  of  grati- 
tude, though  wet,  tired  and  hungry,  for  it  is  so 
warm  that  there  is  water  on  the  ice  in  places,  and 
the  snow  is  very  heavy.  They  had  only  one  deer 
with  them. 

The  two  lost  men  came  into  camp  an  hour  after 
Miss  E.  arrived,  having  gone  past  the  cabin  and 
camp,  and  southward  too  far  in  their  reckoning.  It 
is  never  safe  to  travel  without  a  compass  of  some- 
sort  in  this  country.  Mr.  H.  and  his  two  men  have, 
besides  attending  to  the  herd,  staked  some  gold 
claims  while  away,  not  far  from  our  claims.  The 
wind  has  died  down,  and  there  is  no  snow  falling 
tonight  at  half-past  eight. 

This  is  New  Year's  Eve,  and  the  girls  and  boys 
are  singing,  and  having  a  good  time  in  the  sitting- 
room  while  I  write.  We  are  going  to  sit  up  to 
watch  the  old  year  out  and  the  new  year  in,  and 
have  a  little  song  service  at  midnight. 

This  is  the  last  day  of  nineteen  hundred,  and  a 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  297 

memorable  year  it  has  been.  How  many  new 
scenes  and  how  great  the  changes  through  which 
we  have  passed!  What  will  the  New  Year  bring? 
Where  will  we  be  next  year  at  this  time?  It  is 
probably  better  that  we  do  not  know  the  future. 

New  Year's  Day,  nineteen  hundred  and  one. 
This  has  been  a  good  day  all  around,  after  our  mid- 
night watch  meeting,  when  seven  of  the  eight  per- 
sons present  took  a  part,  and  we  sang  many  songs 
with  the  organ.  At  half-past  twelve  I  retired,  but 
the  others  remained  up  until  two  o'clock. 

This  evening  the  storekeeper  and  two  others 
from  White  Mountain  called  to  see  if  we  did  not 
care  to  go  out  coasting  on  the  hill  behind  the  Mis- 
sion, and  five  or  six  of  us  went.  When  we  got  to 
the  top  of  the  hill  the  wind  was  so  strong  that  I 
could  hardly  stand,  and  after  a  few  trips  down  the 
hill  we  gave  it  up,  part  of  our  number  going  out  to 
walk  upon  the  ice,  and  the  rest  of  us  going  in- 
doors. The  men  were  invited  into  the  Mission, 
and  stayed  for  an  hour,  chatting  pleasantly,  as 
there  is  no  place  for  them  to  go  except  to  the  sa- 
loons. It  is  a  great  pity  that  there  is  no  reading 
room  with  papers  and  books  for  the  miners,  with 
the  long  winter  before  them,  and  nothing  to  do. 
There  is  a  crying  need  for  something  in  this  line, 
and  if  they  do  not  employ  their  time  pleasantly  and 
profitably,  they  will  spend  it  unprofitably  in  some 
saloon  or  gambling  place.  I  wish  I  had  a  thousand 
good  magazines  to  scatter,  but  I  have  none. 


298  My  First  Qold  Claims 

I  gave  Jennie  her  lesson,  and  amused  both  chil- 
dren for  a  time  this  afternoon.  Yesterday  the  snow 
drifted  badly,  and  I  fear  the  people  who  went  to 
Council  will  not  have  a  good  trail  on  the  way 
home. 

January  second:  It  is  pleasant  to  have  a  corner 
by  myself  in  which  to  write  and  be  sometimes  alone. 
The  little  northeast  corner  room  where  I  sleep 
has  a  tile  pipe  coming  up  from  the  kitchen,  mak- 
ing the  room  warm  enough  except  in  the  coldest 
weather.  It  has  a  north  window  with  no  double 
one  outside,  and  when  the  wind  comes  from  the 
north  I  expect  it  will  be  extremely  cold.  From  this 
window  I  can  see  (when  the  glass  is  free  from  frost) 
out  upon  the  trail  to  Nome  and  White  Mountain. 
Today  there  is  water  on  the  ice,  and  it  has  been 
raining  and  blowing.  Three  of  the  boys  returned 
from  a  four  days'  prospecting  trip  to  the  west,  and 
as  two  of  them  had  been  sick  the  whole  time  since 
they  left  here,  they  came  in  wet,  tired  and  hungry, 
without  having  much  good  luck  to  relate.  I  told 
them  it  was  something  to  get  back  at  all  again, 
and  they  agreed  heartily,  while  eating  a  hot  supper. 
An  hour  later  and  Mr.  H.  with  the  visiting  preacher 
came  in  from  the  reindeer  station,  and  their  staking 
trip,  ill  the  same  condition  as  the  three  boys  had 
been ;  so  a  supper  for  them  was  also  prepared. 

Our  kitchen  looks  like  a  junk  shop  these  days, 
and  a  wet  one  at  that,  for  the  number  of  mnckluks, 
fur    parkies,    mittens,    and    other     garments   hung 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  299' 

around  the  stove  to  dry  are  almost  past  counting, 
and  the  odor  is  stifling;  but  the  clothing  must  be 
dried  somewhere,  and  there  is  no  other  place.  An 
engine  room  would  be  the  very  best  spot  I  know 
for  drying  so  many  wet  furs,  and  I  wish  we  had 
one  here. 

In  speaking  to  one  of  the  men  today  about  pros- 
pecting my  claim,  I  told  him  I  would  furnish  fiie 
grub,  but  he  said  very  kindly,  "I  wouldn't  take  any 
grub  from  you.  I've  got  enough,  and  shall  be  at 
work  there  anyway,  so  it  won't  take  long  to  sink 
some  holes  in  your  claim,"  which  I  thought  was 
very  good  of  him.  I  hope  they  will  "strike  it" 
rich 

January  third:  A  wet,  sloppy,  snowy  day,  our 
"January  thaw,"  Mr.  H.  says.  I  took  the  two  chil- 
dren out  on  the  sled  upon  the  ice  and  pushed  at  the 
handlebars  until  I  was  reeking  with  perspiration, 
aiterwards  giving  Jennie  her  lesson  at  her  auntie's. 

There  are  twelve  of  us  under  the  Mission  roof 
tonight,  including  Miss  E.  and  th'^  native. 

January  fourth:  These  are  great  days.  We  have 
a  houseful  of  men,  nine  in  all,  and  some  are  getting 
ready  to  leave  tomorrow  to  do'  some  staking  of 
claims  up  near  the  station.  M.  said  if  the  musician 
were  only  here,  and  they  could  get  a  dog-team,  he 
would  like  to  get  him  to  go  with  him  on  a  staking 
trip  not  far  away.  This  man  returned  soon  after- 
ward, and  M.  wanted  me  to  ask  him  if  he  would  go. 
I  did  so,  and  he  replied  that  he  would  go,  and  fur- 


300  My  First  Gold  Claims 

nish  dogs  if  possible;  but  the  ones  he  tried  to  get 
were  engaged,  and  that  plan  fell  through,  much  to 
his  discouragement.  Learning  this,  I  determined 
to  go  to  the  captain  at  the  hotel,  and  see  if  I  could 
procure  dogs  from  him  for  the  trip.  He  said  yes,  I 
could  have  his  best  dogs,  and  that  a  mail  carrier  is 
here  resting  who  will  lend  us  his  dogs,  so  that  was 
all  arranged. 

Location  papers  then  had  to  be  written  out,  grub 
boxes  packed,  a  tent  looked  up,  and  many  things 
attended  to  before  they  left,  so  that  others  in  camp 
got  an  inkling  of  what  was  being  done  and  wanted 
to  go  along.  Then  M.  and  the  musician  decided  to 
put  ofif  going  until  midnight,  when  they  would 
sneak  quietly  out  of  camp  with  their  dogs  and 
scamper  away  among  the  hills  without  the  others 
knowing  it,  but  it  could  not  be  done,  and  two  or 
three  sleds  followed  them  at  midnight  in  the  moon- 
light, as  is  the  custom  with  Alaska  "stampeders." 

January  fifth:  Mollie  asked  me  today  to  go  with 
her  to  visit  her  fox  traps,  and  I  immediately  de- 
cided to  go.  We  started  about  half-past  one  in  the 
afternoon,  on  foot  past  the  clifif,  but  when  we  had 
gone  a  short  distance  Mollie  stopped  to  call  back 
to  the  house.  Some  native  boys  were  cutting  wood 
at  the  north  door,  and  she  motioned  one  to  come 
to  her.  When  he  came,  she  spoke  to  him  in  Eski- 
mo, and  he,  assenting  to  what  she  said,  ran  back 
again. 

"I  tell  Muky  to  come  with  dog-team,  bring  us 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  301 

home,  you  get  tired  by  and  by,"  she  said,  thought- 
fully, as  we  trudged  on  again  over  and  through  the 
snow.  The  woman  wore  a  reindeer  parkie,  short 
skirt,  and  muckluks,  and  carried  a  gun  on  her 
shoulder.  The  snow  was  quite  a  foot  deep,  with 
a  crust  on  top,  which  we  broke  at  almost  every  step, 
and  which  made  it  hard  walking.  On  we  "mushed," 
past  the  cliff,  the  boats,  and  out  upon  the  ice.  The 
traps  had  been  set  by  Mollie  a  week  before  on 
the  northeast  shore  of  the  bay  among  a  few 
low  bushes,  and  this  was  our  objective  point. 
When  we  reached  the  first  trap,  which  was  buried 
in  snow,  but  found  by  a  certain  shrub  which  Mollie 
had  in  some  way  marked  and  now  recognized,  I 
threw  myself  upon  the  snow  to  rest  and  watch  her 
movements. 

Around  us  we  saw  plenty  of  ptarmigan  tracks, 
but  no  signs  of  foxes.  A  foot  below  the  snowy 
surface,  Mollie  found  her  trap,  and  proceeded  to 
reset  it.  Carefully  covering  the  trap  with  a  very 
little  light  snow  and  smoothing  it  nicely  over,  she 
chipped  off  bits  of  reindeer  meat  from  a  scrap  she 
had  brought  with  her,  scattering  them  invitingly 
around. 

The  scene  about  us  was  a  very  quiet  one  and 
wintry  in  the  extreme.  Long,  low  hills  stretched 
out  on  every  side  of  the  bay,  and  the  whole  earth 
was  a  great  snow  heap.  The  sky  and  cloud  effects 
v^-ere  charming,  fading  sunshine  on  the  hilltops 
making  them  softly  pink,  and  very  lovely;  but  with 


302  My  First  Gold  Claims 

deep  reddish  purple  tints  over  all  as  the  sun-ball 
disappeared. 

One  after  another,  four  fox  traps  in  different 
places  were  reset  by  Mollie,  while  I  mushed  on 
behind  her. 

At  last  we  saw  the  dog-team  and  Muky  coming 
on  the  bay.  Five  dogs  he  had  hitched  to  his  sled, 
and  each  wore  a  tiny  bell  at  its  throat,  making  a 
pretty  din  as  they  trotted.  When  the  woman  had 
finished  her  trapping,  we  both  climbed  into  the 
sled,  the  native  running  and  calling  to  the  dogs,  and 
they  started  for  home.  It  was  not  a  long  ride,  prob- 
ably not  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  as  we  went, 
but  while  tramping  through  the  snow  crust  to  the 
traps  it  seemed  much  longer. 

T  now  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  novel  ride.  In  the 
dusky  twilight  the  dogs  trotted  cheerfulh-  home- 
ward, obeying  the  musical  calls  of  their  driver,  and 
the  little  bells  jingled  merrily.  Darker  and  more 
purple  grew  the  skies  until  they  tinted  the  snow 
over  which  we  were  passing,  and  by  the  time  we 
had  halted  before  the  hotel  door  it  wns  really  night. 

By  the  clock  it  was  fifteen  minutes  past  four  and 
the  thermometer  registered  fifteen  degrees  below 
zero.  Then  we  toasted  our  feet  before  the  big 
heater,  removed  and  shook  out  our  frosty  furs,  and 
answered  the  two  children's  questions.  To  these 
Mollie  gave  her  explanations  in  Eskimo,  and  T  told 
of  the  ptarmigan  tracks  I  had  seen  on  the  snow 
drifts. 


A  Woman  Who   Went — To  Alaska  303 

Sunday,  January  sixth:  Yesterday  1  moved  nu.o 
the  Httle  southeast  room  which  was  formerly  Miss 
J.'s.  It  has  pretty  paper  on  the  walls,  and  a  small 
heater  in  one  corner,  besides  a  single  cut,  and  1 
soon  settled  quite  comfortably.  The  room  with 
the  bunks  was  needed  for  the  men,  of  whom  there 
are  so  many  most  of  the  time.  The  room  I  now 
have  has  a  south  window,  but  not  a  double  one,  and 
gets  heavy  with  frost,  which  remains  on  the  panes; 
but  I  can  have  a  fire  when  I  want  one,  as  the  stove 
burns  chips  and  short  wood,  of  which  there  are 
always  quantities  in  the  shed.  B,  tells  me  to  use 
all  the  wood  I  want,  as  there  is  no  shortage  of  fuel, 
nor  men  to  haul  and  cut  it,  which  I  think  is  very 
kind.  A  little  fire  while  1  am  dressing  nights  and 
mornings,  however,  is  all  I  shall  try  to  keep 
burnmg. 

Wiss  J.  came  with  Ivan,  bringing  several  native 
children  to  visit  their  parents  for  a  few  hours,  but 
took  them  back  with  her  after  supper  when  the 
meeting  was  over,  which  she  had  held  in  the  kitchen. 
We  had  sixteen  to  supper,  including  natives.  After- 
ward we  went  down  to  the  beach  to  see  the  party 
off  for  the  Home.  Ivan  led  the  dogs,  five  in  num- 
ber, hitched  to  the  big  sled.  Miss  J.  ran  alongside, 
the  visiting  preacher  at  the  handle  bar,  and  the 
little  children  on  the  sled.  After  watching  them 
off,  we  came  home  and  then  took  a  walk  of  a  mile 
out  upon  the  ice  on  the  White  ]\Iountain  trail,  which 
was  in  fairly  good  condition.     There  were  six  of 


304  My  First  Gold  Claims 

us.  When  we  got  back  to  the  house,  I  played  by 
request  on  the  organ,  for  the  three  Swedish  visitors 
from  Council, 

The  weather  is  bright  and  beautiful,  and  sixteen 
degrees  below  zero. 

Monday,  January  seventh:  The  boys  came  m 
from  their  stampede  to  the  creeks,  and  M.  says 
they  staked  us  all  rich  if  there  is  anything  good  in 
the  ground.  My  claim  is  Number  Ten,  below  Dis- 
covery, on  H.  Creek,  and  sounds  well,  if  nothing 
more.  Of  course  we  women  are  all  much  elated, 
and  talk  of  "our  claims"  very  glibly,  but  a  few 
sunken  prospect  holes  will  tell  the  story  of  success 
or  failure  better  than  anything  else. 

This  has  been  a  busy  day  in  the  house  until  I 
went  at  half-past  two  in  the  afternoon  to  Mollie's 
to  find  her  ill  in  bed  with  a  very  bad  throat.  I  gave 
Jennie  and  Charlie  two  hours  of  my  time,  and  went 
home,  to  return  in  the  evening  at  Mollie's  request. 
The  poor  woman  was  suffering  severely,  and  I  did 
what  I  could  for  her,  rubbing  her  throat  with  cam- 
phorated oil  and  turpentine  and  wrapping  it  in 
thick,  hot  flannels.  Then  I  assisted  her  to  bed, 
rubbing  her  aching  bones,  and  left  her  less  feverish 
than  when  I  went  in.  The  thermometer  is  above 
zero,  and  the  weather  is  pleasant. 

Two  men  from  Topkok  came  in  to  see  the  Re- 
corder's books,  and  searched  all  through  them 
without  finding  what  they  wanted  and  expected  to 
find,  and  then  went  away  with  sober  and  disap- 


t 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  305 

pointed  faces.  "Curses  not  loud  but  deep"  come 
to  our  ears  each  day  about  the  Commissioner's 
work  of  recording,  and  many  say  he  is  now  deep 
in  dissipation  at  Nome,  instead  of  attending  here 
to  his  business  as  he  should.  Miners  declare  him 
unfitted  in  every  way  for  his  position,  and  affirm 
that  they  will  depose  him  from  office. 

I  went  out  this  morning  and  bought  a  student 
lamp  at  the  store,  paying  six'  dollars  and  a  half 
for  it.  This,  with  my  case  of  coal  oil,  will  light 
my  room  nicely,  besides  giving  a  good  deal  of  heat. 

The  Marshal  and  men  are  home  from  the  Koyuk 
River,  after  four  weeks  of  winter  "mushing,"  and 
say  nothing  about  their  trip.  They  did  not  man- 
age to  pull  harmoniously  together,  and  Mr.  L.  re- 
turned before  them. 

January  ninth:  When  I  went  today  to  the  hotel 
to  teach  my  pupils,  I  found  the  men  in  the  room 
cleaning  the  big  heater,  and  ashes  and  dirt  drove  us 
out  of  the  place,  so  we  went  upstairs  to  another 
room  in  which  Mollie  sometimes  sews,  and  where 
we  found  her  at  work  on  a  white  parkie  for  the  mu- 
sician. I  played  with  Jennie  for  a  time  before  the 
lesson,  and  Ageetuk  came  in  on  an  errand,  while 
Polly,  the  Eskimo  servant,  jabbered  in  a  funny  way 
and  wabbled  over  the  floor  like  a  duck,  as  is  her 
habit  when  walking.  This  girl  Is  short,  fat  and 
shapeless,  with  beady  black  eyes,  and  a  crafty  ex- 
pression, certainly  not  to  be  relied  on  if  there  is 
truth  in  physiognomy.  '' 


3o6  My  First  Gold  Claims 

At  the  hotel  all  is  excitement  and  bustle,  getting 
the  men  off  for  .the  Kuskokquim  River,  where  the 
new  strikes  are  reported.  Strong  new  sleds  have 
been  made  by  the  natives,  grub  is  being  packed  and 
dogs  gotten  into  condition,  besides  a  thousand 
other  things  which  must  be  done  before  the  expedi- 
tion i*  ready  to  start.  Seeing  them  make  such  ex- 
tensive preparations  reminded  me  that  perhaps  I 
might  get  the  men  to  carry  my  paper  and  stake 
something  for  me,  so,  plucking  up  my  courage,  I 
asked  the  promoter  of  the  expedition,  whom  I 
know,  if  I  could  do  this,  and  was  readily  given  per- 
mis.sion.  In  a  few  minutes  paper,  pen  and  ink  were 
brought  in,  a  clerk  was  instructed  to  draw  up  the 
paper  in  proper  shape,  which  he  did,  and  it  was 
signed  and  witnessed  in  due  form,  Mollie  subscrib- 
ing her  name  as  one  of  the  witnesses.  For  this  I 
tendered  my  heartiest  thanks,  and  ran  home  with  a 
light  heart,  already  imagining  myself  a  lucky  claim 
owner  in  a  new  and  rich  gold  section  on  the  Kus- 
kokquim. The  party  of  five  men  are  to  leave  to- 
morrow morning  for  the  long  trip  of  several  hun- 
dred miles  over  the  ice  and  snow. 

Mollie  advises  me  to  have  another  pair  of  muck- 
luks  made  smaller,  and  to  keep  these  I  am  wearing 
for  traveling,  when  I  will  wear  more  inside  them, 
so  I  will  take  my  materials  over  tomorrow  and  she 
will  have  Alice  cut  and  sew  them  for  me.  I  hope 
they  will  not  make  my  feet  look  so  clumsy  as  do 
these,  my  first  ones. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  30) 

January  tenth:  This  was  a  cold  and  windy  morn- 
ing, so  the  men  at  the  hotel  could  not  start  out  for 
the  Kuskokquim  as  they  intended.  Some  men 
came  to  the  Mission  to  see  if  they  could  rent  the  old 
schoolhouse  to  live  in,  the  doctor  and  his  plucky 
little  wife  having  left  some  weeks  ago  for  a  canp 
many  miles  east  of  Chinik.  After  looking  it  over, 
the  men  have  concluded  to  take  it,  and  move  in 
soon.  There  are  no  buildings  to  buy  or  rent  in  this 
camp,  nor  anything  with  which  to  build,  so  it  is  hard 
lines  for  strangers  coming  to  Chinik.  This  after- 
noon Alma  went  over  with  me  to  the  hotel  to  stitch 
on  Mollie's  sewing  machine,  and  I  carried  tHe  deer- 
skin for  my  new  footgear  which  Alice  will  make 
acceptably,  no  doubt,  as  she  is  very  expert. 

Mr.  H.,  two  natives  and  two  white  men,  were 
here  to  supper  tonight  on  their  way  to  Nome 
by  dog-team,  and  are  wishing  to  start  at  three  in 
the  morning  in  order  to  make  the  trip  in  two  days. 
M.  and  L.  are  also  here,  so  we  had  seven  men  to 
supper.  We  had  fried  ham,  beans,  stewed  prunes, 
tea,  and  bread  and  butter. 

This  morning  it  was  two  degrees  below  zero, 
with  a  strong,  cold  wind;  tonight  it  is  fourteen  de- 
grees below  zero  with  no  wind,  and  it  is  warmer  now 
than  then.  No  moonlight  till  nearly  morning,  but 
the  stars  shine  brightly. 

January  eleventh:  Mary  sat  up  all  night  baking 
bread,  and  starting  the  men  off  for  Nome  between 
three  and  tour  in  the  morning.    I  got  up  at  nine 


3o8  My  First  Gold  Claims 

o'clock  and  enjoyed  the  magnificent  sunrise.  I 
went  out  with  Ricka  while  she  tried  at  the  three 
stores  to  find  a  lining  for  her  fur  coat,  but  one  clerk 
told  us  that  no  provision  for  women  was  made  by 
the  companies,  and  they  had  nothing  on  their 
shelves  she  wanted.  At  the  hotel  store  she  found 
some  dark  green  calico  at  twenty-five  cents  a  yard, 
which  she  was  obliged  to  take  for  her  lining. 

While  I  gave  Jennie  her  lesson  her  mother  came 
from  her  hunting,  and  had  shot  six  ptarmigan,  hav- 
ing hurt  her  finger  on  the  trigger  of  the  gim. 
Mollie  studies  a  little  while  each  day  when  Jenrfie 
has  finished  her  lesson. 

There  is  a  sick  Eskimo  woman  here  now  who  was 
brought  in  from  the  reindeer  camp  yesterday,  and 
Mollie  has  her  upstairs  in  the  sewing  room  on  a 
cot.  Mary,  the  nurse,  went  over  with  me  to  see 
her,  and  says  she  has  rheumatic  fever.  She  seems 
to  be  suffering  very  much,  and  cannot  move  her 
hands  or  limbs. 

January  twelfth:  At  eight  o'clock  today  the  ther- 
mometer stood  at  forty-one  degrees  below  zero, 
but  registered  thirty-two  degrees  during  the  middle 
of  the  day,  and  the  houses  are  not  so  warm  as  they 
have  been. 

When  I  called  for  Jennie  at  the  hotel  today  1 
found  her  crying  with  pain  in  her  leg,  so  she  could 
not  take  a  lesson,  but  I  sent  out  for  little  Charlie 
who  came  running  to  me  with  outstretched  arms. 
He  is  a  dear  little  child,  and  T  am  getting  very  fond 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  309 

of  him.  It  is  some  weeks  since  Jennie  first  began 
crying  occasionally  with  pain,  and  her  parents  can- 
not understand  it,  unless  it  is  caused  by  a  fall  she 
had  on  the  steamer  coming  from  San  Francisco 
last  summer,  and  of  which  they  thought  nothing  at 
the  time.  I  sincerely  hope  she  is  not  going  to  be 
very  ill,  with  no  doctor  nearer  than  White  Moun- 
tain. The  sick  woman  still  suffers,  though  they 
are  doing  what  they  can  for  her.  The  captain  re- 
quested me  to  bring  our  medical  books  over,  or 
send  them,  that  he  can  look  up  remedies  and  treat- 
ment of  rheumatic  fever,  for  that  is  what  she  no 
doubt  has. 

While  seated  at  the  organ  an  hour  later,  in  came 
the  storekeeper  and  his  clerk,  followed  soon  after 
by  the  captain  and  musician.  Then  we  had  music 
and  solos  by  the  last  named  gentleman,  and  the 
knitting  needles  kept  rapidly  flying.  At  eleven 
o'clock  they  went  out  into  the  intense  cold,  which 
sparkled  like  diamonds,  but  which  pinched  like  nip- 
pers the  exposed  faces  and  hands. 

Here  is  another  cold,  quiet  day,  with  the  ther- 
mometer at  thirty-five  degrees  below  zero,  and  it 
is  a  first-class  one  to  spend  by  the  fire.  We  have 
read,  slept,  eaten,  and  fed  the  fires;  with  only  one 
man,  three  girls  and  myself  in  the  house.  At  ten 
in  the  evening  G.  and  B.  came  in  from  a  five  days' 
"mushing"  trip  on  the  trails,  being  nearly  starved 
and  frozen.  They  were  covered  with  snow  and 
icicles,  their  shirts  and  coats  stifT  with  frost  from 


310  My  First  Gold  Claims 

steam  of  their  bodies,  as  they  ran  behind  the  sled 
to  keep  warm.  A  hot  supper  of  chicken  (canned), 
coffee,  and  bread  and  butter  was  prepared  in  haste 
for  them,  and  they  toasted  themselves  until  bed- 
timCt 


CHAPTS^R  XXII. 


THE   LITTLE  SICK  CHILD. 

HE  winter  is  rapidly   passing,  and  so 
far  without  monotony,  though  what  it 
will  bring  to  us  before  spring  remains 
to  be  seen.    Little  Jennie  has  been  suf- 
fering more  and  more  with  her  leg  of 
late,  and  her  papa  sent  for  the  doctor 
at  White  Mountain,  who   came  today 
bv  dog-team.      The  child's  mother  has 
had   a   spring   cot   made    for   her,   and 
she  was  put  to  bed  by  the  doctor,  who 
says  the  knee  trouble  is  a  verv  serious  one,  and  she 
must  have  good  nursing,  attention  being  also  paid 
to  her  diet.    The  Eskimos  are  all  exceedingly  fond 
of  seal  and  reindeer  meat,  and  Jennie's  Auntie  Apuk 
or  grandmother  will  often  bring  choice  tidbits  to 
the  child  at  bedtime,  or  between  meals,  when  she 
ought  not  to  eat  anything,  much  less  such  hearty 
food.     When  the  little  child  sees  the  good  things, 
she,  of  course,  wants  them,  and  having  been  hu- 
mored in  every  whim,  she  must  still  be,  she  thinks, 
especially  when  she  is  ill.     A  problem  then  is  here 
presented   which   I   may   help   to   solve   for  them. 
Jennie  and  I  are  growing  very  fond  of  each  other, 
and  she  will  do  some  things  for  me  which  she  will 
not  do  for  others  who  have  obeyed  her  wishes  so 


312  The  Little  Sick  Child 

long.  I  begin  by  round-about  coaxing  and  reason- 
ing, and  get  some  other  idea  into  her  mind,  until 
the  plate  of  seal  meat  is  partially  forgotten,  and 
does  not  seem  so  attractive  at  nine  in  the  evening 
as  when  presented  with  loving  smiles  by  her  old 
grandmother,  who  does  sometimes  resent  the  alter- 
native, but  is  still  exceedingly  solicitous  that  the 
little  girl  should  recover.  As  grandmother  under- 
stands English  imperfectly,  MoUie  is  obliged  to 
reiterate  the  doctor's  orders  in  Eskimo,  making 
them  as  imperative  as  possible,  and  the  poor  old 
Eskimo  woman  goes  home  with  the  promise  tha*- 
Jennie  shall  have  some  of  the  dainties  at  meal-time 
on  the  morrow. 

In  appearance  grandmother  is  still  somewhat 
rugged,  being  a  large  woman,  with  an  intelligent 
face,  which  expresses  very  forcibly  her  inner  feel- 
ings, and  being,  probably,  somewhere  between 
sixty  and  seventy  years  of  age.  Her  husband,  who 
has  been  dead  only  a  year  or  two,  was  much  be- 
loved bv  her,  and  no  reference  to  him  is  ever  made 
in  her  presence,  without  a  flow  of  tears  from  her 
eyes.  Her  love  of  home  and  kindred  seems  verv 
strong,  and  her  devotion  to  little  Jennie  amounts 
almost  to  idolatry,  so  the  solicitude  expressed  by 
the  good  woman  is  only  a  part  of  what  she  really 
feels,  but  which  is  shown  in  hundreds  of  ways. 
When  the  doctor  settled  the  little  girl  in  her  bed 
she  adjusted  a  heavy  weight  to  the  foot  on  the 
limb  which  has  given  her  so  much  trouble,  and  now 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  313 

the  grief  of  Alollie  and  her  mother  is  unbounded. 
Poor  old  grandmother  wipes  her  eyes  continually, 
leaving  the  house  quickly  at  times  to  rush  home 
and  mourn  alone,  as  she  is  so  constrained  to  do, 
her  sorrow  for  her  darling's  sufferings  being  very 
sincere.  Later  she  comes  in  after  doing  her  best 
at  courage  building,  tiptoes  her  way  in  to  see  if  her 
pet  is  sleeping  or  awake,  and  bringing  something  if 
possible,  with  which  to  amuse  or  interest  the  invalid. 
However  great  is  the  grief  of  the  women,  that  of 
the  child's  papa  is  equally  sad  to  see,  and  he,  poor 
man,  is  forced  to  face  the  probability  of  a  long  and 
dreary  winter,  if  not  a  lifetime  of  sufTering  for  his 
darling  child.  One  cannot  help  seeing  his  misery, 
though  he  tries  like  a  Trojan  to  hide  it,  and  keeps 
as  cheerful  as  possible  to  encourage  others.  He  i.s 
always  an  invalid  himself. 

The  main  topic  of  interest  to  Jennie  now  is  the 
little  stranger  who  has  come  to  live  with  her  Auntie 
Apuk,  and  whom  she  is  so  desirous  of  seeing  that 
she  almost  forgets  her  trouble  and  suffering,  ask- 
ing constantly  about  its  size,  color,  eyes,  hair, 
hands  and  feet.  She  counts  the  days  before  she 
can  see  it,  and  puzzles  greatly  over  the  fact  of  its 
not  possessing  a  name,  her  big  black  eyes  getting 
larger  and  blacker  as  she  wonders  where  one  will 
be  found.  Little  Charlie  is  allowed  in  to  see  Jen- 
nie at  times,  and  wonders  greatly  to  find  her  always 
in  bed,  asking  many  questions  in  his  childish  Eski- 


314  The  Little  Sick  Child 

mo  treble,  and  patting  her  hand  sympathetically 
while  standing  at  her  side. 

"Mamma,"  said  he  the  other  day  to  MoUie  in 
Eskimo,  with  a  pleased  smile  on  his  face,  and  when 
the  two  were  alone,  "the  ladie  loves  me." 

"How  do  you  know?"  asked  Molhe. 

"Because,"  he  said,  shyly,  putting  his  little  arms 
about  her  neck,  "because  she  kissed  me."  Where- 
upon Mollie  did  the  same,  and  assured  him  of  her 
own  love,  always  providing,  of  course,  that  he  was 
a  good  boy,  and  did  what  papa  and  mamma  told 
him  to  do. 

This  conversation  Mollie  reported  to  me  a  few 
days  after  it  took  place,  and  I  assured  her  with 
tears  welling  up  in  my  eyes  that  the  little  child  had 
made  no  mistake.  Strange  action  of  the  subjective 
mind  of  one  person  over  another,  even  to  the  under- 
standing by  this  Eskimo  baby  of  a  stranger  heart, 
and  that  one  so  unresponsive  as  mine.  The  child, 
deprived  as  he  was  of  an  own  mother's  love,  still 
hungered  and  thirsted  for  it,  and  he  was  quick  to 
discern  in  my  eyes  and  voice  the  secret  for  which 
he  was  looking.  How  I  should  enjoy  giving  my 
whole  time  to  these  two  children,  and  they  really 
do  need  me  to  teach  and  care  for  them;  but  I  am 
dividing  myself  between  them  and  the  Mission,  and 
the  winter  days  are  very  short. 

The  thermometer  today  registered  fourteen  de- 
grees below  zero,  against  twenty-eight  yesterday 
and  thirty  below  the  dav  before  that. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  315 

Mr.  H.  has  returned  from  Nome,  bringing  me  a 
package  of  kodak  films  sent  from  Oakland,  Cal., 
last  August,  and  which  I  never  expected  to  receive 
after  so  long  a  time.  I  was  delighted  to  get  them, 
and  now  I  can  kodak  this  whole  district,  above  and 
below. 

Molly  is  trying  to  study  English  a  little,  but 
with  many  interruptions  on  every  hand.  The  big 
living  room  is  light  and  warm,  our  only  study  place, 
and  yet  the  rendezvous  of  all  who  care  to  drop  in, 
regardless  of  invitations,  making  it  somewhat  diffi- 
cult for  us  to  concentrate  our  attention  on  the  les- 
sons. The  Marshal,  the  bartender,  the  clerks, 
cooks,  miners,  natives,  strangers  and  all  come  into 
this  room  to  chat,  see  and  inquire  for  Jennie,  play 
with  Charlie,  and  get  warm  by  the  fire.  Here  is  an 
opportunity  of  a  lifetime  to  study  human  nature, 
and  I  am  glad,  for  it  is  a  subject  always  full  of  in- 
terest to  me,  though  I  frequently  feel  literally 
choked  with  tobacco  smoke,  and  wish  often  for  a 
private  sitting-room. 

Sunday,  January  twentieth:  We  are  snuggled  in- 
doors by  the  lires  under  the  most  terrible  blizzard 
of  the  season  so  far,  with  furious  gales,  falling  and 
drifting  snow,  and  intense  cold.  It  is  impossible 
to  keep  the  house  as  warm  as  usual,  and  I  have 
eaten  my  meals  today  dressed  in  my  fur  coat,  my 
seat  at  table  being  at  the  end,  with  my  back  close  to 
the  frosty  north  window.  Though  this  is  the  place 
of  honor  at  the  board,  and  the  missionary's  seat 


3i6  The  Little  Sick  Child 

when  he  eats  in  the  Mission,  still  it  is  a  chilly  berth 
on  occasions,  and  this  is  decidedly  one. 

The  dining-room  contains,  besides  the  north 
window,  one  on  the  south  side  as  well,  and  though 
both  are  covered  with  storm  windows,  the  frost  and 
ice  is  several  inches  thick  upon  the  panes,  preclud- 
ing any  possibility  of  receiving  light  from  either 
quarter  unless  the  sun  shines  very  brightly  indeed, 
and  then  only  a  subdued  light  is  admitted.  During 
the  night  the  house  shook  constantly  in  the  terrific 
gale,  rattling  loose  boards  and  shingles,  and  I  was 
kept  awake  for  several  hours. 

At  night  I  am  in  the  habit  of  tossing  my  fur  coat 
upon  my  bed  for  the  warmth  there  is  in  it,  as  I  am 
not  the  possessor  of  a  fur  robe,  as  all  persons 
should  be  who  winter  here.  Furs  are  the  only  things 
to  keep  the  intense  cold  out  in  such  weather  as  we 
are  now  having,  but  with  some  management  I  get 
along  fairly  well. 

A  reindeer  skin  not  in  use  from  the  attic  makes 
my  bed  soft  and  warm  underneath,  my  coat  over 
my  blankets  answers  the  same  purpose,  and  the 
white  fox  baby  robe  from  the  old  wooden  cradle 
upstairs  makes  a  soft,  warm  rug  on  the  floor  upon 
which  to  step  out  in  the  morning.  Wool  slippers 
are  never  off  my  feet  when  my  muckluks  are  rest- 
ing, and  I  manage  by  keeping  a  supply  of  kindlings 
and  small  wood  in  my  box  by  the  stove,  to  have 
a  warm  fire  by  which  to  dress. 

These  days  we  do  not  often  rise  early,  and  ten 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  317 

o'clock  frequently  finds  us  at  breakfast,  but  we 
retire  correspondingly  late,  and  midnight  is  quite 
a  customary  hour  lately.  Today  we  passed  the  time 
in  eating,  sleeping,  singing  and  reading.  A  visit- 
ing Swedish  preacher  came  over  a  few  days  ago 
from  the  Home,  and  is  storm-bound  in  the  Mission, 
He  is  a  large,  heavy  man,  with  a  hearty  voice  and 
hand  grip,  and  is  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  using 
the  best  of  English,  having  filled  one  of  the  vacant 
Nome  pulpits  for  several  weeks  last  fall  before 
coming  to  Golovin. 

Today  he  has  read  one  of  Talmage's  sermons  to 
us,  and  we  have  sung  Gospel  songs  galore,  in  both 
Swedish  and  English,  with  myself  as  organist. 
When  this  is  tired  of,  the  smaller  instruments  are 
taken  out,  and  Ricka  has  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
preventing  Alma  from  amusing  the  assembled  com- 
pany with  her  mandolin  solo,  "Johnny  Get  Your 
Hair  Cut,"  the  young  lady's  red  lips  growing  quite 
prominent  while  she  insists  upon  playing  it. 

"Good  music  is  always  acceptable,  Ricka,  and 
on  Sunday  as  well  as  on  any  otHer  day,  so  I  cannot 
see  why  you  will  not  let  me  play  as  I  want  to.  I 
do  not  think  it  a  sin  to  play  on  the  mandolin  on 
Sunday.  Do  you,  Pastor  F?"  asked  Alma  of  the 
preacher,  appealingly,  and  in  all  innocence. 

What  could  he  say  to  her?    He  laughed. 

"O,  no,"  said  Ricka,  "I  do  not  say  that  mandolin 
music  is  sinful  on  Sunday,  and  if  you  would  play 
'Nearer  My   God  to  Thee,'  or  some  such  piece, 


3i8  The  Little  Sick  Child 

and  not  play  'Johnny,'  I  should  not  object."  And 
she  now  looked  at  the  preacher  and  me  for  rein- 
forcements. 

Alma  is  not,  however,  easily  put  down,  and  the 
contest  usually  winds  up  with  Ricka  going  into 
the  kitchen  where  she  cannot  hear  the  silly  strains 
of  "Johnny,"  which  Alma  is  picking  abstractedly 
from  the  strings  of  the  instrument,  while  the 
preacher  continues  his  reading,  and  I  go  off  to  my 
room. 

Mr.  Q.,  a  Swedish  missionary,  and  his  native 
preacher  called  Rock,  have  arrived  from  Unalaklik, 
with  the  two  visiting  preachers  at  the  Home,  and 
they  held  an  evening  service  in  the  schoolhouse, 
which  was  fairly  well  attended.  There  were  seven 
white  men,  the  three  women  in  this  house  and  my- 
self, besides  many  natives  of  both  sexes.  Grand- 
mother was  there  with  Alice,  Ageetuk  and  others, 
and  the  missionary  spoke  well  and  feelingly  in  Eng- 
lish, interpreted  by  Rock  into  Eskimo.  One  of  the 
preachers  sang  a  solo,  and  presided  at  the  organ. 
Some  of  the  native  women  present  had  with  them 
their  babies,  and  these,  away  from  home  in  the 
evening,  contrary  to  their  usual  habit,  cried  and 
nestled  around  a  good  deal,  and  had  to  be  com- 
forted in  various  ways,  both  substantial  and  other- 
wise, during  the  evening;  but  the  speakers  were 
accustomed  to  all  that,  and  were  thankful  to  have 
as  listeners  the  poor  mothers,  who  probably  could 
not  have  come  without  the  youngsters. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  319 

Considerable  will  power  and  auto-suggestion  is 
needed  to  enable  me  to  endure  the  fumes  of  seal 
oil  along  with  other  smells  which  are  constantly 
arising  from  the  furs  and  bodies  of  the  Eskimos, 
made  damp,  perhaps,  by  the  snow  which  has  lodged 
upon  them  before  entering  the  room.  Fire  we 
must  have.  Those  who  are  continually  with  the 
natives  in  these  gatherings  do  get  "acclimated," 
but  I  am  having  a  hard  struggle  along  these  Ihies. 

The  three  Swedish  and  one  Eskimo  preacher  left 
today  for  the  Home,  after  I  had  taken  a  kodak 
view  of  them  and  their  dog-team.  As  the  wind 
blew  cold  and  stiffly  from  the  northwest,  they 
lh(MSted  a  sail  made  of  an  old  blanket  upon  their 
sled. 

There  are  many  who  are  ingenious,  and  who  are 
glad  to  help  the  sick  child,  Jennie,  pass  her  time 
pleasantly,  and  among  them  is  the  musician.  Being 
a  clever  artist  as  well  as  musician,  he  goes  often  to 
sit  beside  Jennie,  and  then  slate  and  pencils  are 
brought  out,  and  the  drawing  begins.  Indian 
heads,  Eskimo  children  in  fur  parkies,  summer 
landscapes,  anything  and  everything  takes  its  turn 
upon  the, slate,  which  appears  a  real  kaleidoscope 
under  the  artist's  hands.  Jennie  often  laughs  till 
the  tears  run  down  her  face  at  some  comical  draw- 
ing or  story,  or  the  musician's  efforts  to  speak 
Eskimo  as  she  does,  and  both  enjoy  themselves  im- 
mensely. 

Yesterday    Mollie   went   out   to   hunt   for   ptar- 


320  The  Little  Sick  Child 

migan.  She  is  exceedingly  fond  of  gunning,  has 
great  success,  and  she  and  the  child  relish  these 
tasty  birds  better  than  anything  else  at  this  sea- 
son. Ageetuk  also  is  a  good  hunter  and  trapper, 
and  brought  in  two  red  foxes  from  her  traps  yes- 
terday, when  she  came  home  from  her  outing  with 
Mollie.  Little  Charlie  ran  up  to  Molhe  on  her  re- 
turn from  her  hunt,  and  cried  in  a  mixture  of  Es- 
kimo and  English : 

"Foxes  peeluk,  Mamma?"  meaning  to  ask  if  she 
did  not  secure  any  animals,  appearing  disappointed 
when  told  by  his  mamma  (for  such  she  calls  herself 
to  the  child)  that  she  did  not  find  anything  today 
but  ptarmigan. 

It  was  twenty  degrees  below  zero  this  morning, 
and  the  sun  was  beautifully  bright.  The  days  are 
growing  longer,  and  it  is  quite  light  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  The  short  days  have  never  been 
tiresome  to  me  because  we  have  not  lacked  for  fuel 
and  lights,  and  have  kept  occupied. 

One  of  the  Commissioners  and  two  or  three 
other  men  have  been  trying  for  a  long  time  to  get 
their  meals  here,  but  the  girls  have  pleaded  too 
little  room,  and  other  excuses,  until  now  the  Com- 
missioner has  returned,  and  renewed  his  requests. 
Today  he  came  over  and  left  word  that  he  and 
two  others  would  be  here  to  six  o'clock  supper,  at 
which  the  girls  were  wrathy. 

"I  guess  he  will  wait  a  long  time  before  I  cook 
his  meals  for  him,"  sputtered  Alma,  who  disliked 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  321 

the  coming  of  the  official'  to  the  house,  and  under 
no  consideration  would  she  consent  to  board  him. 

"My  time  is  too  short  to  cook  for  a  man  like 
that,"  declared  Mary,  with  a  toss  of  her  head,  as 
she  settled  herself  in  the  big  arm  chair  in  the  sit- 
ting-room, and  poor  Ricka,  whose  turn  it  was  this 
week  to  prepare  the  meals,  found  herself  in  the  em- 
barrassing position  of  compulsory  cook  for  at 
least  two  of  the  men  she  most  heartily  despised  In 
the  camp,  and  this,  too,  under  the  displeasure  of 
both  Alma  and  Mary. 

"What  shall  I  do?"  groaned  Ricka,  appealing  to 
me  in  her  extremity.  "Will  you  sit  at  table  with 
them  tonight,  Mrs.  Sulliyan?  Because  Alma  and 
Mary  will  not,  and  I  must  pour  the  cofTee.  O. 
dear,  what  shall  I  haye  for  supper?"  and  the  poor 
girl  looked  fairly  bowed  down  with  anxiety. 

"O,  neyer  mind  them,  Ricka,"  said  I,  "just  give 
them  what  you  had  intended  to  giye  the  rest  of  us. 
I  suppose  they  think  this  is  a  road  house,  and,  if  so, 
they  can  as  well  board  here  as  others;  but  if  Alma 
refuses  to  take  them,  I  do  not  see  what  they  can 
do  but  keep  away,"  argued  I,  knowing  both  Alma 
and  Mary  too  well  by  this  time  to  expect  them  to 
change  their  verdict,  as,  indeed,  I  had  no  desire  for 
them  to  do. 

"I'm  sure  it  is  not  a  road  house  for  men  of  their 
class,"  growled  Alma,  biting  her  thread  ofiF  with  a 
snap,  for  she  was  sewing  on  Mollie's  dress,  and 
did  not  wish  to  be  hindered.    "I'll  not  eat  my  sup- 


322  The  Little  Sick  Child 

per  tonight  till  they  have  eaten;  will  you,  Mary?" 

"Indeed,  I  will  not,"  was  the  reply  from  a  pair 
of  very  set  lips,  at  which  Ricka  and  I  retired  to  the 
kitchen  to  consult  together,  and  prepare  the  much- 
talked-of  meal. 

Then  I  proceeded  to  spread  the  table  with  a  white 
cloth  and  napkins,  arrange  the  best  chairs,  and 
make  the  kitchen  as  presentable  as  I  could  with 
lamps,  while  Ricka  went  to  work  at  the  range.  We 
had  a  passable  supper,  but  not  nearly  so  good  as  we 
usually  have,  for  the  official  had  not  only  taken  us 
by  surprise,  but  had  come  unbidden,  and  was  not 
(by  the  express  orders  of  the  business  head  of  the 
restaurant  firm),  to  be  made  welcome. 

At  any  rate,  Ricka  and  I  did  the  best  we  could 
under  the  circumstances,  the  meal  passed  in  some 
way,  and  the  official  then  renewed  his  request  to  be 
allowed  to  take  all  his  meals  in  the  Mission,  meet- 
ing with  nothing  but  an  unqualified  refusal,  much 
to  his  evident  disappointment. 

I  doubt  very  much  now  the  probability  of  my 
getting  any  more  copying  to  do  for  him,  as  he 
says  I  could  have  persuaded  Alma  to  board  him  if 
I  had  been  so  inclined;  but  then  I  never  was  so 
inclined,  and  have  about  decided  that  I  do  not  want 
his  work  at  any  price. 

January  twenty-fifth:  This  has  been  a  very  cold, 
windy  day,  but  three  of  the  men  came  in  from  pros- 
pecting on  the  creeks,  and  have  little  to  report. 
To  think  of  living  in  tents,  or  even  native  igloos, 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  323 

in  such  weather  for  any  length  of  time  whatever, 
is  enough  to  freeze  one's  marrow,  and  I  think  the 
men  deserve  to  "strike  it  rich"  to  repay  them  for 
so  much  discomfort  and  suffering.  Mr.  L.  and  B. 
walked  to  the  Home  and:  back  today — twenty-four 
miles  in  the  cold.  I  bought  two  more  fox  skins  of 
the  storekeeper  with  which  to  make  my  coat 
longer. 

Mr.  H.  and  Miss  J.  came  to  hold  a  meeting  in 
the  kitchen  for  the  natives,  and  Mollie  interpreted 
for  them,  as  Ivan  was  not  present.  They  all  enjoy 
singing  very  much,  and  are  trying  to  learn  some 
new  songs.  Contrary  to  my  expectations,  they  learn 
the  tunes  before  they  do  the  words,  which  are  Eng- 
lish, of  course. 

Later  the  musician  came  over  and  sang  and 
played  for  an  hour  and  a  half  at  the  organ,  which 
nil  in  the  house  enjoyed;  but  he  is  worried  about 
his  friend,  who  was  bitten  by  the  mad  dog,  and  is 
in  poor  health,  he  told  us  tonight.  They  have  lately 
moved  into  the  old  schoolhouse,  and  like  there 
better  than  their  former  lodgings,  which  were  very 
cold.  There  are  three  of  them  in  the  schoolhouse, 
or  rather  cabin,  for  it  is  an  old  log  building,  with 
dirt  roof,  upon  which  the  grass  and  weeds  grow  tall 
in  summer,  and  under  the  eaves  of  the  new  school- 
house,  a  frame  structure  with  a  small  pointed  tower. 

Sunday,  January  twenty-seventh:  The  mission- 
aries held  a  meeting  in  the  sitting  room  this  foro- 
noon,  at  which  the  Commissioner  was  present,  not 


324  The  Little  Sick  Child 

because  he  was  interested  in  the  service,  Alma  says. 
I  suppose  he  had  nothing  else  to  do,  and  happened 
to  get  up  earher  than  usual.  I  presided  at  the 
organ,  and  Miss  J.  led  the  singing.  The  day  was 
a  very  bright  one,  but  the  thermometer  registered 
thirty  degrees  below  zero. 

The  missionaries  have  taken  Alma  with  them  to 
visit  for  a  few  days,  and  do  some  sewing  at  the 
Home.  We  all  ran  out  upon  the  ice  with  them,  but 
did  not  go  far,  as  it  was  very  cold.  For  a  low 
mercury  these  people  do  not  stay  indoors,  but  go- 
about  as  they  like  dressed  from  top  to  toe  in  furs, 
and  do  not  sufifer;  but  let  the  wind  blow  a  stiff  gale, 
and  it  is  not  the  same  proposition. 

Four  men  came  from  the  camp  of  the  ship- 
wrecked people,  the  father  of  Freda,  the  little  girl, 
being  one.  They  say  the  child  and  her  mother  are 
well,  and  as  comfortable  as  they  can  be  made  for 
the  present,  but  in  the  spring  they  will  go  back  to 
Nome. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


LIGHTS     AND      SHADOWS 
MINING    CAMP. 


or     TH£ 


GAIN   the   boys   are  starting    for    the 
JL  Koyuk  River  country.     Although  it  is 

the  twenty-eighth  of  January,  and  be- 
tween twenty-five  and  thirty  degrees 
below  zero,  nothing  can  deter  Mr.  L., 
who  has  made  up  his  mind  to  go  to  the 
headwaters  of  the  big  river  regardless 
of  weather.  L.,  B.  and  a  native  are  to 
compose  the  party,  and  this  time  they 
are  going  with  reindeer.  They  will  take 
with  them  a  tent,  stove,  fur  sleeping  bags,  matches, 
"grub,"  guns  and  ammunition,  not  to  mention'  fry 
pans  and  a  few  tins  for  cooking  purposes.  Then 
they  must  each  take  a  change  of  wearing  apparel 
in  case  of  accident,  and  make  the  loads  as  light 
as  possible.  B.  has  made  it  a  point  to  look  well 
at  his  guns  and  cartridges,  and  has  been  for  days 
cleaning,  rubbing  and  polishing,  while  hunting 
knives  have  also  received  attention.  The  party  may 
have,  in  some  way,  to  depend  upon  these  weapons 
for  their  lives  before  their  return. 

January  twenty-ninth:  Twenty-five  degrees  be- 
low zero,  but  without  wind,  and  the  boys  have 
started  off  on  their  long  trip  up  the  Koyuk.  The 
reindeer  were  fresh  and  lively,  and  when  everything 


326       Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp 

was  loaded  and  lashed  upon  the  three  sleds,  the 
animals  were  hitched  to  them,  when,  presto!  the 
scene  was  changed  in  a  moment.  Each  deer  ran  in 
several  directions  at  the  same  time  as  if  demented, 
overturning  sleds  and  men,  tossing  up  the  snow 
like  dust  under  their  hoofs,  and  flinging  their  antlers 
about  like  implements  of  battle.  Now  each  man 
was  put  to  his  wit's  endl  to  keep  hold  of  the  rope 
attached  to  the  horns  of  the  deer  he  was  drivmg, 
and  we  who  had  gone  out  upon  the  ice  to  watch  the 
departure  feared  greatly  for  the  lives  of  the  men 
interested. 

At  one  time  Mr.  H.,  who  was  kindly  assisting, 
was  flung  upon  the  ground,  while  a  rearing,  plung- 
ing animal  was  poised  in  mid-air  above  him;  and  I 
uttered  a  shriek  of  terror  at  the  sight,  thinking 
he  would  be  instantly  killed.  However,  he  was 
upon  his  feet  in  an  instant,  and  pursuing  the  ani- 
mals, still  clinging  to  the  rope,  as  the  deer  must 
never,  under  any  consideration,  be  allowed  to  get 
away  with  the  loaded  sleds. 

When  one  of  the  boys  attempted  to  sit  upon  a 
load,  holding  the  rope  as  a  guide  in  his  hands, 
there  would  be  a  whisk,  a  whirl,  and  quicker  than 
a  flash  over  would  go  the  load,  sled  and  man,  roll- 
ing over  and  over  like  a  football  on  a  college 
campus.    . 

At  this  time  the  sun  shone  out  brightly,  tinting 
rosily  the  distant  hills,  and  spreading  a  carpet  of 
light  under  our  feet  upon  the  ice-covered  surface  of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  327 

the  bay.  The  clear,  cold'  air  we  breathed  was  fairly 
exhilarating,  sparkling  like  diamonds  in  the  sun- 
beams, and  causing  the  feathery  snowflakes  under 
our  feet  to  crackle  with  a  delightful  crispness. 

When  the  elasticity  of  the  reindeer's  spirits  had 
been  somewhat  lessened  by  exercise,  a  real  start 
was  made,  and  we  watched  them  until  only  small 
dots  on  the  distant  trail  could  be  distinguished. 

Something  unpleasant  has  happened.  M.,  the 
Finlander,  told  me  this  morning  that  he  wants  the 
room  I  occupy  upstairs,  and,  of  course,  I  will  have 
to  give  it  up.  As  the  other  rooms  upstairs  must 
be  left  for  the  men,  of  whom  there  are  such  num- 
bers, there  is  no  place  for  me  except  on  the  old 
wooden  settle  in  the  sitting  room.  To  be  sure, 
this  is  in  a  warm  corner,  but  there  are  many  and 
serious  inconveniences,  one  being  that  I  must  of 
necessity  be  the  last  one  to  retire,  and  this  is 
usually  midnight. 

For  some  time  past  I  have  been  turning  over  in 
my  mind  the  advisability  of  asking  for  the  situation 
of  nurse  and-  teacher  to  Jennie  and  Charlie,  and 
living  in  the  hotel.  Supplies  are  growing  shorter 
in  the  Mission  as  the  weeks  go  by,  and  my  own  are 
about  exhausted,  as  is  also  my  money.  The  ch'I- 
dren  need  me,  and  there  is  plenty  of  room  in  the 
hotel,  though  I  am  not  fond  of  living  in  one. 

I  have  consulted  Mr.  H.,  who  sees  no  harm  in  my 
doing  this  if  I  want  to.  Meals  are  one  dollar  each 
everywhere  in  Chinik,  and  most  kinds  of  "grub" 


328       Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp 

one  dollar  a  pound,  while  for  a  lodging  the  same  is 
charged.  To  earn  my  board  and  room  in  the  hotel 
by  teaching  and  taking  care  of  the  two  children 
I  should  be  making  an  equivalent  to  four  dollars 
a  day,  and  I  could  have  a  room,  at  last,  to  myself. 
This  is  the  way  I  have  figured  it  out;  whether  Mollie 
and  the  Captain  will  see  it  in  the  same  light  remains 
to  be  seen. 

Later:  I  ran  over  to  see  Mollie  and  her  husband, 
and  to  present  my  plan  to  them.  They  both  as- 
sented quickly,  the  Captain  saying  he  does  not 
want  Jennie  to  stop  her  studies,  and  she  is  fond  of 
having  me  with  her.  Besides,  her  mother  wants 
to  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  out  hunting  and  trap- 
ping, as  she  thinks  it  better  for  Jennie,  Charlie  and 
herself  to  have  fresh  game,  of  which  they  are  so 
fond,  than  to  eat  canned  meats.  I  think  it  is  better 
for  them,  and  shall  not  object  to  some  of  the  same 
fare  myself  when  it  is  plenty.  T  am  very  glad, 
indeed,  of  the  opportunity  to  earn  my  board  and 
room  in  this  way,  for  my  work  will  only  be  with 
and  for  the  two  children,  and  I  love  them  very 
much. 

January  thirtieth:  A  bad  storm  came  up  this 
afternoon  with  wind  and  snow.  At  the  Mission 
one  of  the  new-comers  is  making  two  strong  rein- 
deer sleds.  He  says  he  is  used  to  Alaska  winters, 
has  been  up  into  the  Kotzebue  Sound  country,  and 
is  now  going  again  with  reindeer  as  soon  as  his 
sleds  are  finished.     He  is  exceedingly  fond  of  mu- 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  329 

sic,  and  enjoys  my  playing.  I  wonder  if  he  will 
offer  to  stake  a  claim  for  me!    I  will  not  ask  him. 

January  thirty-first:  This  terrible  storm  con- 
tinues, with  snow  drifting  badly,  and  with  wind 
most  bitter  cold.  What  about  the  boys  on  the 
Koyuk  trail?  I  fear  they  will  freeze  to  death.  I 
have  finished  six  drill  parkies  for  the  store-keeper, 
but  cannot  get  them  to  him  in  the  blizzard. 

February  first:  I  found  when  calling  upon  Jennie 
today  that  her  mother  was  sick  in  bed  with  a  very 
bad  throat,  so  I  spent  most  of  the  day  and  even- 
ing there.  I  did  all  I  could  for  Jennie  as  well  as 
Mollie,  doing  my  best  to  amuse  the  child,  who  is 
still  strapped  down  on  her  bed,  and  must  find  the 
day  long,  though  she  has  a  good  deal  of  company. 
I  had  a  first-class  six  o'clock  dinner  at  the  hotel 
tonight, — that  is,  for  Alaska,  at  this  season  of  the 
year. 

February  second:  This  is  my  birthday,  and  1 
have  been  thinking  of  my  dear  old  mother  so  far 
away,  who  never  forgets  the  date  of  her  only 
daughter's  birth,  even  if  I  do.  I  should  like  to 
see  her,  or,  at  least,  have  her  know  how  well  I  am 
situated,  and  how  contented  I  am,  with  a  prospect 
before  me  which  is  as  bright  as  that  of  most  per- 
sons in  this  vicinity.  If  I  could  send  my  mother  a 
telegram  of  a  dozen  words,  I  think  they  would  read 
like  this:   "I  am  well  and  happy,  with  fair  pros- 


330       Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp 

pects.  God  is  good."  I  think  that  would  cheer 
her  considerably. 

It  is  beginning  to  seem  a  little  like  spring,  and 
the  water  is  running  down  the  walls  and  off  the  win- 
dows in  rivers  upon  the  floors  of  the  Mission,  which 
we  are  glad  are  bare  of  carpets;  the  snow  having 
sifted  into  the  attic  and  melted.  The  warm  rain 
comes  down  at  intervals,  and  we  are  hoping  for  an 
early  spring. 

Mollie  is  really  very  sick,  and  must  have  a  doc- 
tor, her  throat  being  terribly  swollen  on  one  side. 
The  pain  and  fever  is  intense,  and  though  we  are 
doing  all  we  know  how  to  do,  she  gets  no  better. 
Some  men  started  out  for  the  doctor  at  White 
Mountain,  but  there  was  too  much  water  on  the 
ice,  and  they  returned. 

February  sixth:  The  man  who  made  the  two 
reindeer  sleds  for  his  Kotzebue  trip  has  gone  at 
last  with  two  loads  and  three  reindeer.  He  wanted 
his  drill  parkie  hood  bordered  w"ith  fur,  as  I  had 
done  some  belonging  to  others,  and  I  furnished 
the  fox  tails,  and  sewed  them  on  for  him. 

"Shall  I  stake  a  claim  for  you?"  asked  the  man 
with  a  smile  the  day  before  he  left  the  Mission. 

"O,  I  would  like  it  so  much!"  said  I,  really  de- 
lighted. "I  did  not  wish  to  ask  you,  because  I 
thought  you  had  promised  so  many." 

"So  I  have,"  he  rci)]ic(l,  "but  T  guess  I  can  stake 
for  one  more,  and  if  i  fiiKl  anything  good  I  will  re- 
member you." 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  331 

"Shall  I  have  a  paper  made  out?"  I  inquired, 
teeling  it  would  be  safer  and  better  from  a  busi- 
ness point  of  view  to  do  so. 

"You  may,  if  you  like.  I  will  take  it,"  said  he; 
and  I  thanked  him  very  cordially,  and  hastened  to 
the  Commissioner  to  have  the  paper  drawn  up. 
It  did  not  take  long,  and  the  man  has  taken  it,  and 
gone.  Being  an  old  mail  carrier  and  stamipeder 
of  experience  in  this  country,  he  ought  to  know 
how  to  travel,  and,  being  a  Norwegian,  he  is  well 
used  to  the  snow  and  the  cold.  He  says  he  always 
travels  alone,  though  I  told  him  he  might  some- 
time get  lost  in  a  storm  and  freeze  to  death,  at 
which  he  only  laughed,  and  said  he  was  not  at  all 
afraid.  (Two  years  afterwards  he  was  frozen  to 
death  on  the  trail  near  Teller  City,  northwest  of 
Nome.)  He  was  an  expert  on  snowshoes  or  ski, 
both  of  which  he  learned  to  use  when  a  boy  in 
Norway. 

February  tenth:  The  two  young  men,  B.  and  L., 
have  returned  from  the  Koyuk  trip,  having  been 
able  to  travel  only  three  days  of  the  eleven  since 
they  left  here  on  account  of  blizzards,  but  they  will 
not  give  it  up  in  this  way. 

Mollie  and  Jennie  are  better,  the  doctor  having 
been  here  two  days.  For  the  little  invalid  there  is 
nothing  of  such  interest  as  Apuk's  baby,  and  as  the 
child  is  well  wrapped  and  brought  in  often  to  see 
her,  she  is  highly  delighted.  She  holds  the  baby  in 
her  arms,  and  hushes  it  to  sleep  as  any  old  woman 


332       Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp 

might,  lifting  a  warning  finger  if  one  enters  the 
room  with  noise,  for  fear  of  waking  it.  Little  Char- 
lie cries  with  wliooping  cough  a  great  deal  and  is 
taken  to  Ageetuk's  house  when  he  gets  trouble- 
some, as  he  worries  both  Mollie  and  Jennie.  Under 
no  consideration  is  Charlie  to  come  near  enough  to 
Jennie  to  give  her  the  whooping  cough,  for  she 
coughs  badly  already.  She  and  I  make  paper  dolls 
by  the  dozen,  and  cloth  dresses  for  her  real  dolls, 
which,  so  late  in  the  season,  are  getting  quite  dilap- 
idated and  look  as  though  they  had  been  in  the 
wars. 

Many  natives  are  now  bringing  beautiful  furs 
into  camp  for  sale,  and  among  others  one  man 
brought  a  cross  fox  which  was  black,  tipped  with 
yellow,  another  which  was  a  lovely  brown,  and  a 
black  fox  valued  at  two  hundred  dollars  which  the 
owner  refused  to  sell  for  less,  though  offered  one 
hundred  for  it.  I  have  never  seen  more  lovely  furs 
anywhere,  and  I  longed  to  possess  them. 

It  seems  almost  like  having  a  hospital  here  now, 
for  we  have  another  patient  added  to  our  sick  list. 
Joe,  the  cook,  is  ill,  and  thinks  he  will  die,  though 
the  doctor  smiles  quizzically  as  she  doses  him, 
thinking  as  she  does  so  that  a  few  days  in  bed  and 
away  from  the  saloons  will  be  as  beneficial  as  her 
prescriptions. 

Today  the  hills  surrounding  the  bay  were  lovely 
in  the  warm  sunshine  both  morning  and  evening. 


A  Woman   Who  Went — To  Alaska  333 

pinlq  tinted  in  the  sunrise  and  purple  as  night  ap- 
proached. 

Mail  came  in  by  dog-team  from  Nome,  going  to 
Dawson  and  the  outside,  so  I  mailed  several  letters. 
I  wonder  if  they  will  be  carried  two  thousand  miles 
by  dogs — the  whole  length  of  the  Yukon,  and 
finally  reach  Skagway  and  Seattle. 

What  a  wicked  world  this  is,  anyway!  My  two 
fox  skins  were  stolen  from  the  living  room  of  the 
hotel  last  night,  where  I  hung  them,  not  far  from 
the  stove,  after  having  had  them  tanned,  and  for- 
getting to  take  them  to  my  room.  I  can  get  no 
trace  of  them,  and  am  exceedingly  sorry  to  lose 
them.  The  captain  thinks  the  skins  will  be  re- 
turned, but  I  do  not. 

The  Commissioner  from  Council  came  into  the 
hotel,  and  he,  with  the  resident  of^cial,  proceeded 
to  celebrate  the  occasion  by  getting  uproariously 
drunk,  or  going,  as  it  is  here  called,  "on  a  toot," 
which  is  very  truthfully  expressive,  to  say  the  least. 

February  eighteenth:  The  doctor  went  home 
several  days  ago.  Mollie  is  better,  and  wore,  at 
the  Sunday  dinner  yesterday,  her  new  gray  plaid 
dress  made  by  Alma,  which  fits  well  and  looks 
quite  stylish.  I  sat  with  her  at  the  long  table  which 
was  filled  with  guests,  employees  and  boarders — a 
public  place  for  me,  which  I  do  not  like  over  much, 
but  what  can  I  do?  The  two  Commissioners  are 
sobered,  look  sickly,  and  more  or  less  repentant; 
the  resident  official  declaring  to  me  he  would  now 


334       Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp 

qviit  drinking  entirely,  and  buy  me  a  new  silk  dress 
if  he  is  ever  seen  to  take  liquor  again. 

I  had  nothing  to  say  to  him,  except  to  look  dis- 
gusted, and  he  took  that  as  a  rebuke.  The  other 
Commissioner  was  exceedingly  polite  to  me  when 
he  came  into  the  living  room  to  bid  all  good-bye, 
and  said  if,  at  any  time,  there  was  anything  in  the 
way  of  business  transactions  he  could  do  for  me, 
to  let  him  know;  he  would  be  delighted — as  if  I 
would  ever  ask  any  favor  of  him! 

The  weather  is  blustery,  like  March  in  Wiscon- 
sin. Mollie  asked  me  to  go  upstairs  with  her,  look 
at  rooms,  and  select  one  for  myself,  which  I  did, 
deciding  to  take  a  small  unfurnished  one  (except 
for  a  spring  :ot,  mirror,  and  granite  wash  bowl  and 
pitcher),  as  this  will  be  easily  warmed  by  my  big 
lamp,  and  it  has  a  west  window,  through  which  I 
will  get  the  afternoon  sun. 

I  cleaned  the  floor,  and  tacked  up  a  white  table- 
cloth which  I  had  in  my  trunk,  for  a  curtain;  spread 
my  one  deerskin  rug  upon  the  floor,  made  up  the 
cot  bed  with  my  blankets,  opened  my  trunk,  hung 
up  a  few  garments,  and  was  settled.  This  is  the 
first  spring  bed  I  have  slept  upon  since  Mr.  H.  took 
the  velvet  couch  away  from  the  Mission.  I  found 
the  boarded  walls  very  damp,  as  was  also  the  floor 
after  cleaning,  but  my  large  lamp,  kept  burning 
for  two  hours,  dried  them  sufificiently,  and  I  am 
quite  well  satisfied. 

Ageetuk    has   been   papering   the     sewing-room 


i 


\ 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  335 

with  fresh  wall  paper,  and  it  looks  better,  but  it  has 
made  a  good  deal  of  confusion  all  round,  and  there 
are  numbers  of  people,  both  native  and  white,  com- 
ing and  going  all  day  long. 

February  twenty-third:  Yesterday  was  Washing- 
ton's Birthday,  but  quiet  here.  Today  Mollie  and 
I  took  Jennie  and  Charlie  out  on  a  sled  with  Muky 
to  push  behind  at  the  handle-bar  through  the  soft, 
deep  snow.  Mollie  sat  upon  the  sled,  and  rode 
down  hill  twice  with  the  children,  Muky  hopping 
on  behin-d ;  but  I  took  a  few  kodak  views  of  them, 
which  I  hope  will  be  good.  I  also  received  some 
mail  from  the  outside  which  was  written  last  No- 
vember, 

Some  of  the  men  in  the  hotel  have  tried  to  play 
what  they  call  "a.  joke"  on  me.  The  steward  of 
the  house  has  a  key  which  unfastens  the  lock  on  my 
door,  as  well  as  others;  so  they  went  into  my  room 
and  tied  a  string  to  the  foot  of  my  bed,  first  boring 
a  hole  through  the  boards  into  the  hall,  and  run- 
ning the  string  through  it.  This  string,  I  suppose, 
they  intended  to  pull  in  the  night  and  frighten  me; 
but  Mollie  and  I  happened  to  go  up  there  for  some- 
thing and  found  it. 

I  was  indignant,  but  everybody  of  whom  Mollie 
inquired  denied  knowing  anything  of  it,  and  I  said 
very  little.  Going  to  my  trunk  afterwards,  I  found 
that  the  lock  had  been  picked  and  broken, — a 
pretty  severe  "joke,"  and  one  I  do  not  relish,  as 
now  I  have  no  place  in  which  to  keep  anything 


336       Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mining  Camp 

from  these  men.  If  they  enter  my  room  whenever 
they  choose  in  the  daytime,  what  is  to  prevent 
them  when  I  am  asleep?  I  took  MoUie  upstairs 
and  showed  her  the  broken  lock,  and  she  stooped 
to  brush  some  white  hairs  from  her  dark  wool 
skirt. 

"Where  they  come  from?"  she  asked  suddenly. 
Then,  picking  at  the  reindeer  skin  upon  the  floor 
under  her  feet,  she  said,  nodding-  her  head  decided- 
ly. "I  know.  He  —  Sim  —  come  to  me  in  sew- 
ing-room,— hair  all  same  this  on  two  knees  of 
blank  pants.  I  say,  'Where  you  get  white  reindeer 
hair  on  you,  Sim?'  He  say,  'I  don't  know.'  Sim 
make  hole  in  wall,  and  string  on  bed  for  you,  Mrs. 
Sullivan.  He  make  lock  peeluk,  too,"  and  Mollie's 
face  wore  a  serious  and  worried  expression. 

"O,  well,  MoUie,"  said  I,  "don't  worry.  I  shall 
say  nothing  to  any  of  the  men  as  they  are  mad  at 
me  now." 

Mollie  nodded  significantly  and  said:  "Your  fox 
skins  peeluk,  Mrs.  Sullivan.  Sim  knows  where — 
he  never  tell — sell  for  whiskey,  maybe,"  and  Mol- 
lie turned  to  go,  as  though  he  were  a  hopeless  case, 
and  beyond  her  government. 

"Yes,  Mollie,  I  think  so;  but  you  can  not  help 
what  these  bad  men  do.  I  know  that,  and  do  not 
blame  you." 

"My  husband  very  sorry  'bout  fox  skins.  He 
cannot  find — he  no  blame,"  and  she  seemed  to 
fear  that  I  would  attach  some  blame  to  the  captain. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  337 

"No,  indeed,  Mollie,  I  don't  think  your  husband 
can  help  what  they  do.  I  should  not  have  left  my 
fox  skins  hanging  in  that  room,  and  will  be  careful 
in  future,  but  if  they  come  into  my  room  they  may 
steal  other  things,  and  I  do  not  like  it." 
'  "I  know,  I  know, — Sim  no  good — Coe  no  good 
— Bub  no  good,"  and  she  went  away  in  a  very  de- 
pressed state  of  mind  to  Jennie  and  Apuk's  baby. 

Of  course  Mollie  told  all  to  the  captain,  who  im- 
mediately accused  the  men  in  the  barroom,  and 
they  all  swore  vengeance  upon  me  from  that  on,  so 
I  suppose  they  will  do  all  they  can  to  torment  me. 

We  are  having  a  sensation  in  Chinik.  The 
"bloomin'  Commissioner"  is  about  to  be  deposed 
from  office,  for  unfitness,  neglect  of  duty,  and  dis- 
sipation; and  a  petition  is  being  handed  around 
the  camp  by  the  Marshal,  praying  the  Nome  au- 
thorities that  he  be  retained.  The  honest  store- 
keeper refused  to  sign  it,  as  have  many  of  the 
Swedes.  The  Commissioner  swears  by  all  that  is 
good  and  great  to  quit  drinking,  and  be  decent. 
Time  will  tell — but  I  have  no  faith  in  him. 

Mollie  goes  often  these  days  to  look  for  foxes 
and  to  shoot  ptarmigan,  taking  with  her  a  dog- 
team,  and  a  native  boy  or  two  with  their  guns. 
When  it  is  bright  and  sunny,  I  take  the  two  little 
children  out  in  the  fur  robes  on  the  sled,  with  a 
native  to  push  the  latter,  and  I  enjoy  the  outing 
fully  as  well  as  they.  Jennie  is  put  to  bed  again  on 
her    return,    and    the    weight — a    sand    bag  —  at- 


338       Lights  and  Shadows  cf  the  Mining  Camp 

tached  to  her  foot,  according  to  the  doctor's  orders. 

The  weather  is  very  springhke,  and  we  have 
wind  "emeliktuk,"  as  little  Charlie  says  when  be 
has  a  plenty  of  anything.  Snow  storms  are  sand- 
wiched nicely  in  between,  but  many  "mushers"  are 
on  the  trails.  MoUie  gets  now  and  then  a  fox, 
either  white  or  crossed,  and  one  day  she  brought 
in  a  black  one. 

Liquor  is  doing  its  fiendish  work  in  camp  each 
hour  of  the  twenty-four.  Some  are  going  rapidly 
down  the  broad  road  to  destruction;  a  few  turn 
their  backs  upon  it,  and  seek  the  straighter  way. 
Some  half  dozen  of  the  men,  headed  by  Sim  and 
Bub,  are  drinking  heavily  most  of  the  time,  gam- 
bling between  spells  for  the  money  with  which  to 
buy  the  poison. 

Very  late  one  night  a  party  of  drunken  men 
pounded  with  their  fists  upon  my  door. 

"She's  in — hie  —  there,  boys,"  said  one  of  the 
men  in  a  halting  way  customary  with  tipplers. 

"Bust  in  the  door!"  blurted  another. 

"Drive  her  out'n  here,  Bub,  ye  fool!"  yawned 
another,  almost  too  sleepy  for  utterance. 

In  the  meantime  I  lay  perfectly  still.  Not  a 
sound  escaped  me,  for  although  my  heart  beat  like 
a  sledge  hammer,  and  I  was  trembling  all  over, 
I  knew  it  was  best  not  to  speak.  After  a  little  more 
parleying  they  all  went  ofif  to  finish  their  "spree" 
elsewhere.  Next  day  I  reported  the  affair  to  the 
captain,  who,  with  his  wife,  in  their  ground  floor 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  339 

apartments  in  the  farthest  end  erf  the  building,  had 
not  heard  the  noise  of  the  night  before.  Of  course 
the  men  were  now  furious,  denying  everything,  call- 
ing me  a  "liar,"  ad  infinitum. 

A  fine-looking  young  man,  a  dentist  and  doctor, 
claiming  to  come  from  an  eastern  city,  while  sitting 
at  the  table  last  evening,  after  much  insane  jibber- 
ish,  fell  back  intoxicated  upon  the  floor,  and  lay 
insensible  for  some  time.  He  was  finally,  when  the 
others  had  finished  eating,  dragged  off  to  bed  in  a 
most  inglorious  condition,  to  suffer  later  for  his 
dissipation.  O,  how  my  heart  ached  for  his  dear 
old  mother  so  far  away!  If  she  had  seen  him  as 
I  saw  him,  I  think  she  would  have  died.  It  is  better 
for  her  to  believe  him  dead  than  to  know  the  truth. 


CHAPTER.  XXIV. 


AN   UNPLEASANT  ADVENTURE. 


HEN  Sunday  comes,  Jhennie  and  I  al- 
^T|7  ways  wear  our  best  clothes,  neither 
sewing,  studying,  nor  doing  any 
work,  but  we  read  Bible  stories,  learn 
verses,  look  at  pictures,  and  keep  the 
big  music  box  going  a  good  share  of 
the  time.  Sometimes  if  it  is  bright 
and  warm,  I  take  the  two  children  out 
for  a  ride,  and  Jennie  likes  to  call 
upon  her  grandmother. 
The  long  front  porch  of  the  hotel  has  been 
opened  again,  the  sides  having  been  taken  ofif,  and 
the  ice  and  snow  cut  away  from  the  steps,  so  the 
little  ones  often  play  upon  the  porch  in  the  sun 
for  an  hour  or  two.  There  are  now  a  number  of 
little  puppies  to  be  fed  and  brought  up,  some  of 
them  of  pure  Eskimo  breed,  and  Charlie  likes  to 
frolic  with  them  by  the  hour.  They  are  very  cun- 
ning, especially  when  Mollie  puts  a  little  harness 
w^hich  she  has  made  upon  each  one,  making  them 
pull  the  sticks  of  wood  she  fastens  behind  in  order 
to  teach  them  to  haul  a  load.  Mollie  is  frequently 
gone  for  two  days  hunting,  and  if  she  docs  not  find 
what  she  looks  for  the  first  day  she  sleeps  upon 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  341 

her  sled  a  few  hours  rolled  in  her  furs,  then  rises 
and  "mushes"  on  again. 

Far  and  near  she  is  known  and  respected,  and 
the  name  of  "Mollie"  in  this  country  is  the 
synonym  of  all  that  is  brave,  true  and  womanly; 
hunting  and  trapping  being  for  an  Eskimo  woman 
some  of  the  most  legitimate  of  pursuits.  The  name 
of  Angahsheock,  which  means  a  leader  of  women 
in  her  native  tongue,  was  the  one  bestowed  upon 
her  by  her  parents. 

In  severe  contrast  to  the  character  of  Mollie  is 
Polly,  who  has  developed  an  insane  jealousy  of 
me  on  the  children's  account,  and  who  never  loses 
an  opportunity  to  annoy  and  insult  me,  much  to 
my  surprise.  One  day  she  will  hide  my  books, 
pour  soup  over  my  dress  in  the  kitchen,  slam  the 
door  in  my  face,  and  make  jeering  remarks  in  Es- 
kimo, causing  the  native  boys  to  giggle;  and  worst 
of  all,  telling  Charlie  in  her  language  that  I  will 
kill  and  eat  him,  thus  making  him  scream  when  I 
attempt  to  wash  or  dress  him. 

However,  there  is  another  and  principal  reason 
for  her  ill  treatment  of  me,  which  is  far  reaching, 
for  Polly  and  Sim  are  cronies,  and  the  girl  does 
what  he  tells  her  to  do,  and  that  is  to  torment  me 
as  much  as  possible. 

For  these  reasons  and  others  T  decided  some 
time  ago  to  carry  my  meals  into  the  living  room  on 
a  tray  when  I  give  the  children  theirs;  especially 
when  Mollie  is  away,  and  the  rough  element  does 


342  An  Unpleasant  Adventure 

not  feel  the  restraint  of  her  presence  at  table. 
There  are  no  other  white  women  in  the  house,  un- 
less, perhaps,  one  comes  in  from  the  trail  with  the 
men  for  a  day,  and  these  are,  as  a  rule,  not  the  kind 
of  women  to  inspire  the  respect  of  any  one.  So  I 
spread  Charlie's  and  my  food  upon  a  small  table, 
and  Jennie's  on  her  own  tray,  for  after  each  little 
outing  she  is  strapped  and  weighted  down  in  bed 
as  before,  and  we  would  be  very  happy  if  it  were 
not  for  Polly,  Sim,  and  a  few  other  "toughs"  in 
the  hotel  and  vicinity. 

Each  day  I  manage,  when  Jennie  is  busy  with 
Apuk's  baby,  O  Duk  Dok,  the  deaf  girl,  grand- 
mother, and  her  other  numerous  Eskimo  friends, 
to  slip  away  and  run  out  for  a  little  fresh  air,  and 
into  the  Mission  for  a  few  minutes.  Then  I  sit 
down  at  the  organ  for  a  while,  or  hear  of  those 
coming  and  going  on  the  trails,  perhaps  climbinar 
the  hill  behind  the  Mission  for  more  exercise  be- 
fore going  back  to  Jennie. 

The  first  week  in  April  has  been  pleasant,  and 
sunny  for  the  most  of  the  time,  but  last  night  the 
eighth  of  the  month,  the  thermometer,  with  a  high 
wind,  fell  to  thirty  degrees  below  zero,  and  froze 
ice  two  inches  thick  in  my  room  upstairs. 

Mr.  L.  and  B.  have  returned  from  their  Kovuk 
trip,  having  staked  one  creek  upon  which  they 
found  colors,  and  which  they  were  informed  by  na- 
tives was  a  gold-bearing  creek.  Their  supply  of 
grub  would  not  allow  them  to  remain  longer.    They 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  343 

have  staked  a  claim  for  me,  with  the  others.  Num- 
ber Fourteen,  above  Discovery,  is  mine,  but  they 
do  not  give  out  the  name  of  the  creek  until  they 
have  been  up  there  and  staked  another  stream  near 
the  first  one.  When  I  get  my  papers  recorded  I 
shall  feel  quite  proud  of  this,  my  best  claim,  per- 
haps, so  far;  and  I  am  thankful  and  quite  happy, 
except  for  the  disagreeable  features  of  hotel  life, 
which  I  am  always  hoping  will  be  soon  changed. 
So  long,  however,  as  the  deadly  liquor  is  sold  in 
almost  every  store  and  cabin,  the  cause  of  dis- 
turbances will  remain,  and  men's  active  brains,  con- 
tinually fired  with  poison  as  they  are,  will  concoct 
schemes  diabohcal  enough  to  shame  a  Mephis- 
topheles. 

Today,  after  due  deliberation  regarding  the  mat- 
ter, I  asked  B.,  on  the  aside,  if  he  would  lend  me  a 
revolver.    He  gave  me  a  quick  and  searching  look. 

'*Do  you  want  it  loaded?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  please,  and  I  will  call  after  supper  for  it," 
said  I,  in  a  low  tone,  while  going  out  the  door. 

Early  this  evening,  putting  on  my  furs  and  car- 
rying a  small  shoe  box  under  my  arm,  I  ran  over 
to  the  Mission.  In  the  hall  I  was  met  by  B.,  to 
whom  I  handed  the  box.  He  took  it  quietly  and 
went  directly  to  his  room,  reappearing  in  a  moment 
and  handing  it  back  to  me,  saying  significantly  as 
he  did  so:  "Three  doses  of  that  are  better  than 
one,  if  any  are  needed,"  which  remark  I  understood 
without  further  explanation. 


344  ^n  Unpleasant  Adventure 

I  have  brought  the  box  to  my  room  and  have 
placed  it  under  the  head  of  my  cot  upon  the  floor, 
where,  in  case  of  emergency,  it  may  be  of  service. 
It  is  not  a  pretty  plaything,  and  will  not  be  used  as 
such  by  me,  but  I  shall  feel  safer  to  know  it  is  near 
at  hand. 

Little  did  I  know  when  I  selected  my  room  the 
day  IMollie  brought  me  upstairs  that  on  the  other 
side  of  the  board  partition  slept  the  man  who  had 
killed  another  in  the  early  winter;  and,  though  the 
murderer  has  so  far  never  molested  me  in  any  way, 
still  he  sometimes  gets  what  they  call  "crazy 
drunk,"  and  is  as  liable  to  kill  some  other  as  he 
was  to  kill  the  first;  then,  too,  thin  board  walls 
have  ears,  and  I  have  heard  the  mutterings  and 
threats  of  these  wretches  for  a  number  of  weeks. 

I  have  been  exceedingly  sorry  for  a  month  past 
to  see  the  preparations  my  friends,  the  Swedish 
women  in  the  Mission,  are  making  to  go  to  Nome, 
and  now  they  expect  to  start  tomorrow.  They 
must  be  in  town  to  put  everything  in  readiness  for 
the  opening  of  the  "Star"  when  the  first  steamers 
arrive  from  the  outside.  The  weather  is  bright 
and  pretty  cold  today,  making  the  trails  good,  but 
in  a  thaw  they  are  bad  and  are  now  liable  to  break 
up  at  any  time.  Quite  a  party  will  go  to  Nome, 
Mr.  L.,  M.  and  others,  and  they  will  travel  with 
dogs.  I  dread  to  see  my  Swedish  friends,  the  only 
white  women  in  this  camp  with  whom'  I  can  be 
friendly,  leave   Chinik,  for   I   shall   then   be  more 


OLD    SCIIOOLHOl'SE    AND    NEW    MISSION    CHAPEL   AT 
GOLOVIN 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  345 

alone  than  ever.  If  this  tiresome  ice  in  the  bay 
would  only  move  out  so  the  boats  could  get  in,  we 
should  have  others,  but  there  is  no  telling  when 
that  will  be.  Many  are  now  betting  on  the  break- 
ing up  of  the  ice,  and  all  hope  it  will  be  very  soon. 

May  second:  My  Swedish  friends  left  very  early 
today  for  Nome,  and  only  Miss  L.  from  the  Home 
is  there,  sweeping  out  the  place;  but  B.  and  the 
visiting  preacher  will  go  with  her  to  the  Home  to- 
day, closing  the  hospitable  doors  of  the  Mission 
for  a  time.  This  evening  they  held  a  meeting  for 
the  natives  in  camp,  and  I  attended,  but  it  seemed 
like  a  funeral  without  the  friends  now  "mushing" 
on  the  Nome  trail. 

A  woman  has  come  to  live  at  MelHe's,  and  is  a 
study  in  beaver  coat,  dyed  brown  hair  (which 
should  be  gray,  according  to  her  age),  and  with, 
it  is  reported,  a  bank  account  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  after  having  lived  in  Alaska 
nearly  five  years.  She  is  called  a  good  "stam- 
peder,"  has  a  pleasant,  smiling  face,  but  is  usually 
designated  "notorious." 

May  tenth:  MoUie  went  out  early  with  Muky, 
!her  dog-team  and  guns,  to  escort  Ageetuk,  Alice 
and  Punni  Churah,  with  their  mother,  who  is  Mol- 
lie's  aunt,  to  their  new  hunting  camp  in  the  moun- 
tains. At  seven  in  the  evening  Mollie  returned 
with  wet  feet.  Tomorrow  she  will  take  a  net,  and 
some  other  things  they  have  forgotten.  They  have 
gone   to   take    their   annual    spring   vacation   and 


346  An  Unpleasant  Adventure 

hunt  gray  squirrels  for  a  month,  living  in  a  hut  in 
the  meantime.  The  weather  is  warm  and  spring- 
like. 

May  thirteenth:  The  captain  has  been  obliged  to 
go  to  Nome  on  business,  weak  and  ill  though  he 
is,  and  has  been  for  months.  It  did  not  seem  to  me 
that  he  could  live  through  the  winter,  and  he  is  far 
too  weak  to  take  this  long  trip  over  the  trail,  but 
he  says  he  is  obliged  to  go,  and  will  return  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment.  He  has  taken  Fred,  the 
Russian  boy,  and  a  team  of  nine  dogs,  leaving  after 
supper,  and  intending  to  travel  night  and  day,  as 
we  now  have  no  darkness. 

The  dissipated  men  around  camp,  idle  and 
drunken  most  of  the  time,  with  nothing  to  occupy 
their  attention  after  the  long,  tedious  winter,  still 
spend  their  hours  in  gossiping,  swearing,  drinking, 
and  gambling,  knowing  no  day  and  no  night,  but 
making  both  hideous  to  those  around  them.  As  a 
destroyer  of  man's  self-respect,  independence,  and 
dignity,  there  is  nothing  to  compare  with  the  ac- 
cursed liquor.  There  are  numbers  of  instances  in 
camp  proving  the  truth  of  this  statement.  There  is 
the  English  clergyman's  tall  and  handsome  son, 
well  educated,  musical  and  of  agreeable  manners 
— fitted  to  grace  the  best  society,  but  —  liquor  is 
to  blame  for  his  present  condition,  which  is  about 
as  low  as  man  can  sink. 

It  is  ten  in  the  evening  and  I  am  in  my  little 
room  upstairs,  the  only  white  woman  in  the  camp 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  347 

except  Mellie  and  two  like  her.  Down  stairs  in  the 
bar-room  the  men  are  singing,  first  coon  songs  and 
then  church  hymns,  with  all  the  drunken  energy 
they  can  muster.  The  crash  of  broken  glass,  angry 
oaths,  and  the  slamming  of  doors  reaches  my  ears 
so  frequently  as  to  cause  little  surprise,  the  French 
cooks  in  the  kitchen  adding  their  share  to  the  dis- 
turbance. In  a  distant  part  of  the  hotel  lies  the 
little  sick  girl,  her  cot  rolled  each  night  close  to 
the  bedside  of  her  mother,  who  tries  to  soothe  her 
in  her  pain,  Mollie  and  the  wicked  little  Eskimo 
servant  being  the  only  women  besides  myself  in 
the  house.  The  noise  and  confusion  increases 
down  stairs,  and  I  shall  sleep  httle  tonight.  I  will 
look  at  my  revolver  and  see  that  its  contents  have 
not  been  removed. 

May  fifteenth:  Here  I  am  alone  with  the  little 
children,  a  bad  native  girl,  and  a  gang  of  the  worst 
men  in  Alaska,  Mollie  having  gone  out  hunting. 
At  midnight  Sim,  Mellie  and  several  others  left  for 
a  dance  at  White  Mountain,  but  it  was  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning  before  the  house  was  quiet.  While 
I  lay  perfectly  still,  and  trying  to  sleep,  a  man's 
stealthy  footstep  passed  my  door.  He  walked  in 
his  stocking  feet  —  bare  floors  and  walls  echo  the 
slightest  sound,  and  my  ears  are  keen.  Was  it  a 
friend  or  foe?  What  was  his  object?  My  heart 
beat  with  a  heavy  thud,  but  I  remembered  the  load- 
ed revolver  under  my  bed,  and  thanked  God  for  it. 

After  a  long  time  I  slept  a  fitful,  uneasy  sleep 


348  An  Unpleasant  Adventure 

for  an  hour,  and  dressed  myself  as  usual  at  half- 
past  six  o'clock,  feeling  badly  for  want  of  needed 
sleep.  Afterwards  I  washed,  dressed  and  fed  the 
children,  amusing  and  entertaining  them  in  my  ac- 
customed way.  Ageetuk's  house  being  closed 
little  Charlie  is  kept  here  all  the  time,  Polly  looking 
after  him  nights.  A  saloon  keeper  named  Fitts, 
villainous  in  reality  as  well  as  in  looks,  is  hanging 
around  continually,  wearing  the  blackest  of  looks 
at  every  one,  having  been  in  trouble  nearly  all  win- 
ter, and  closing  out  his  saloon  a  few  weeks  ago. 
A  big  Dutchman,  burly  as  a  blacksmith  and  well 
soaked  in  whiskey,  lounges  about  in  blue  denim 
and  skull  cap,  winking  his  bleared  eyes  at  Polly 
and  swearing  soundly  at  his  native  wife  when  she 
steps  inside  the  doors  to  look  after  him. 

All  went  well  for  a  while  today  after  Mollie's 
leaving,  Jennie  coaxing  to  be  carried  to  her  grand- 
mother's for  a  visit,  to  which  I  consented,  until 
Charlie  and  I  sat  down  to  supper,  which  I  had 
spread,  as  is  my  habit,  in  the  living  room.  During 
the  day  I  had  turned  matters  well  over  in  mind, 
and  decided,  with  Mollie's  advice,  to  sleep  in  her 
bed  alongside  of  Jennie's  cot,  and  to  have  grand- 
mother stay  with  us,  locking  the  doors  of  the 
rooms,  as  they  shonld  be.  To  my  consternation, 
when  I  chanced  to  look  for  the  keys  in  the  doors, 
there  were  none,  showing  plainly  that  they  had 
been  removed. 

This  looked  like  a  trap.     There  was  nothing  to 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  349 

do,  much  as  I  disliked  it,  but  to  ask  for  the  keys, 
as  I  would  never  spend  the  night  in  the  house 
without  them.  Soon  afterward  the  steward  en- 
tered, and  I  very  calmly  and  politely  asked  for  the 
door  keys  of  the  two  rooms,  saying  that  I  would 
spend  the  night  with  Jennie.  With  cool  insolence 
he  replied  that  he  would  lock  them  himself. 

Again  the  trap.  I  made  no  reply.  I  saw  that  he 
had  been  drinking — that  he  was  not  himself,  and 
that  it  was  useless  to  argue  with  him. 

After  waiting  for  an  answer,  and  getting  none, 
the  man  went  out  carelessly,  leaving  the  door  ajar 
behind  him.  At  that  moment  the  supper  bell  rang 
and  he,  with  others,  sat  down  to  the  table. 

"She  wants  the  keys  to  the  doors,  she  says," 
drawled  the  man  I  had  spoken  with  regarding 
them. 

"What  did  ye  tell  her?"  demanded  one  of  the 
ruffians. 

"I  told  her  I  would  lock  the  dioors  myself,"  said! 
the  fellow. 

"What  does  she  want  of  keys?  Who  is  she 
afraid  of?  It  must  be  you.  Bub;  'taint  me,"  said 
one. 

"You're  a  liar!"  shouted  Bub.  "It's  the  genial 
dispenser  of  booze  here  beside  me  she's  afraid  of." 

"I'll  see  to  her  after  supper,  you  bet!"  shouted 
an  official  voice,  at  which  I  shuddered.  A  general 
hubbub  now  ensued;  among  others  I  could  distin- 


350  An  Unpleasant  Adventure 

giiish  the  word  "black-snake  whip,"  but  I  had  heard 
enough. 

I  was  planning  as  I  Hstened.  Leaning  forward 
I  kissed  the  little  child  besidei  me,  and  said  softly, 
"Eat  all  your  supper,  dear,  and  then  go  to  Polly. 
'Sully'  is  going  to  grandma's." 

Throwing  a  light  wrap  over  my  head,  I  ran  out 
of  the  front  door,  and  around  the  west  end  of  the 
house,  careful  not  to  pass  the  dining-room  win- 
dows, where  the  men  would  see  me,  and  hastened 
to  grandmother's  cabin,  knowing  that  I  should 
there  find  Jennie.  Grandmother  lived  alone  except 
for  O  Duk  Dok,  the  deaf  girl,  and  they  must  give 
me  shelter  for  the  night. 

Here  I  found  Jennie  quite  happy,  with  her  deaf 
friend  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  bed  beside  her, 
while  her  grandmother  was  busy  with  her  work. 

Tn  a  few  words  I  explained  to  the  old  woman 
the  situation,  and  I  was  made  welcome,  Jennie  be- 
ing pleased  to  remain  in  the  cabin  all  night.  I 
knew  Polly  would  put  Charlie  to  bed  when  the  time 
came,  and  the  boy  was  safe  enough  where  he  was. 
I  did  not  believe  the  gang  would  disturb  me  in 
grandmother's  cabin,  but  I  feared  they  would  loot 
my  room  in  my  absence. 

Here  Jennie  could  assist  me.  I  now  asked  her 
to  have  O  Duk  Dok  go  out  for  the  native  named 
Koki,  and  bring  him  to  me,  which  she  did,  the  deaf 
girl  understanding  by  the  motion  of  the  child's  lips 
what  was  being  said. 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  351 

0  Duk  Dok  then  drew  on  her  parkie,  and  went 
out. 

"Koki,"  said  I,  when  the  native  had  entered  the 
room  a  few  minutes  later,  and  closed  the  door  be- 
hind him,  ^'will  you  go  to  my  room — Number  three 
— in  the  hotel,  and  get  some  things  for  me?" 

"Yes,"  was  the  laconic  reply  of  the  man. 

"Here  is  the  key  of  the  room.  Between  the  mat- 
tresses of  the  bed  you  will  find  two  books,  and  in 
the  shoe  box  on  the  floor  there  is  a  revolver.  Bring 
them  to  me  under  your  parkie  so  no  one  shall  see 
what  you  have.  Take  this  little  key,  lock  my  trunk 
and  be  sure  you  fasten  the  door  behind  you.  You 
won't  forget?" 

"All  right.  I  no  forget,"  and  Koki  grinned,  and 
went  out. 

He  did  not  forget.  In  about  twenty  minutes  he 
returned,  bringing  the  keys,  revolver,  and  diaries 
which  I  had  kept  hidd'en  for  fear  the  lawless  fellows 
might  find  and  destroy  them. 

1  now  felt  much  relieved.  I  did  not  think  the 
gang  would  come  to  the  cabin,  but  in  case  they  did 
there  was  the  revolver,  and  grandmother's  two 
doors  had  locks,  which,  if  not  the  very  strongest, 
were  better  than  none,  and  I  fastened  them  immedi- 
ately after  Koki's  departure. 

May  eighteenth:  The  night  I  slept  in  grand- 
mother's cabin  witih  Jennie  passed  quietly  for  us. 
I  slept  in  my  clothes  and  muckluks,  an  old  quilt  and 
fur  parkie  on  some  boards  being  my  bed,  though 


352  An  Unpleasant  Adventure 

grandmother  finally  gave  me  a  double  blanket  for 
covering  when  I  asked  for  it. 

It  was  long  past  midnight  before  we  slept.  The 
child  was  restless,  and  urged  her  grandmother  to 
tell  her  Eskimo  stories.  O  Duk  Dok  slept  heavily, 
unconscious  of  all  around  her.  My  own  senses 
were  on  the  alert.  I  listened  intently  to  catch 
every  sound,  but  we  were  too  far  away  from  the 
hotel  to  hear  the  carousal  that  I  well  knew  was 
there  in  progress.  The  mushers  from  the  dance 
were  hourly  expected  home,  and  would  then  add 
their  part  to  the  midnight  orgies.  The  low  droning 
of  the  old  Eskimo  woman,  telling  her  tales  of  the 
Innuits,  of  the  Polar  bear,  the  seal  and  the  wal- 
rus, of  the  birds,  their  habits  and  nestlings;  this 
was  the  only  sound  I  heard. 

After  a  time  the  others  slept  and  I  went  to  the 
window  and  looked  out.  At  my  right,  only  a  stone's 
throw  away,  was  the  Mission,  its  windows  and 
doors  all  fastened,  and  its  occupants  gone.  I  felt 
a  heart-sinking  sensation  as  I  thought  of  the 
friends  who  were  there  lately.  Across  the  way  was 
the  old  schoolhouse,  in  which  were  the  musician, 
his  partner  and  the  deaf  man,  who  had  been  bitten 
by  the  mad  dog.  They  were  within  calling  dis- 
tance, and  for  that  I  felt  thankful.  I  had  dreaded 
the  night  in  the  cabin  for  fear  that  I  should  suffer 
for  fresh  air,  but  seeing  a  broken  pane  of  glass 
into  which  some  cloth  had  been  stuffed,  I  removed 
the  latter,  and  allowed  the  pure  air  to  enter.     Of 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  353 

course  the  place  was  scented  with  seal  oil,  but 
grandmother's  cabin  was  comparatively  tidy  and 
clean. 

Next  morning",  when  we  knew  that  breakfast  was 
over,  we  went  in  a  body  to  the  hotel,  grandmother 
carrying  Jennie  on  her  back,  according  to  EslTimo 
custom.  Some  of  the  men  were  still  sleeping  ofif 
their  dissipation  of  the  night  before.  Nothing  was 
said  about  our  remaining  away,  and  the  Esfcimo 
women  spent  the  day  with  us.  Others  also  came, 
called  quietly  in  to  see  Jennie,  and  remained  to  the 
meals  I  was  glad  to  give  them  for  their  company. 

When  six  o'clock  arrived,  and  still  we  saw 
nothing  of  Mollie,  I  felt  anxious.  If  she  did  not 
return  it  meant  another  night  in  the  native  hut  for 
us.  Eight,  nine,  ten  o'clock — thank  God!  She  had 
come  at  last.  I  could  have  hugged  her  for  joy.  She 
had  nearly  one  hundred  ptarmigan,  enough  to  last 
till  the  captain  came  home,  and  would  not  leave 
us  again  alone. 

Later:  The  captain  returned  from  Nome,  having 
made  the  trip  of  eighty-five  miles  and  back  by  dog- 
team  in  four  days  and  nights,  a  very  quick  trip  in- 
deed. The  "toughs"  have  subsided,  and  are  on 
their  good  behavior  for  the  present,  at  least,  fear- 
ing what  the  captain  will  say  and  do  when  their  last 
doings  are  reported,  but  I  understand  that  most  of 
them  are  mortally  offended  at  my  remaining  at 
grandmother's,  as  no  one  takes  ofTence  so  easily 
as  a  rogue  when  his  honesty  is  doubted. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


STONES  AND   DYNAMITE. 

HE  last  week  of  May  has  finally  come, 
'Tp  and  with  it  real  spring  weather.  The 
children  play  out  in  the  sand  heap  op 
the  south  side  of  the  house  for  hours 
together,  enjoying  the  warm  sun- 
shine and  pleasant  air,  the  little  girl 
clothed  from  head  to  foot  in  furs. 
Never  has  a  springtime  been  so  wel- 
come to  me,  perhaps  because  in  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  long,  cold  winter 
through  which  we  have  just  passed.  From  the 
hillside  behind  the  Mission,  the  snow  is  slowly  dis- 
appearing, first  from  the  most  exposed  spots  and 
rocks,  the  gullies  keeping  their  drifts  and  ice 
longer.  Mosses  are  everywhere  peeping  cheerfully 
up  at  me  in  all  their  tints  of  gorgeous  green,  some 
that  I  found  recently  being  tipped  with  the  dainti- 
est of  little  red  cups.  This,  with  other  treasures,  I 
brought  in  my  basket  to  Jennie  when  I  returned 
from  my  daily  walk  upon  the  hill,  and  together  we 
studied  Ihcm  closely  imder  the  magnifying  glass. 

To  examine  the  treasures  brought  in  by  Mollie, 
however,  we  needed  no  glass.  They  are  sand-pipers, 
ptarmigan,  squirrels,  and  occasionally  a  wild 
goose,  shot,  perhaps,  in  the  act  of  flying  over  the 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  355 

hunter's  head,  as  these  birds  are  now  often  seen 
and  heard,  going  north.     In  the  evening  I  see  from 
my  window  the  neighboring  Eskimo  children  play- 
ing with  their  sleds,  and  sometimes  they  light  a 
bonfire,    shouting    and    chattering    in    their    own 
unique  way.      All  "mushers"  now  travel  at  night 
when  the  trail  is  frozen,  as  it  is  too  soft  in  the  day- 
time, and  the  glare  of  the  sun  often  causes  snow- 
blindness.    Then,  too,  there  is  water  on  the  ice  in 
places,  which  we  are  glad  to  see,  and  pools  of  the 
same  are  standing  around  the  Mission  and  school- 
house.     I  can  no  longer  go  out  in  my  muckluks, 
but  must  wear  my  long  rubber  boots  and  short 
skirts. 

Today  I  went  out  for  an  hour,  walking  to  Chinik 
Creek  over  the  tundra,  from  which  the  snow  has 
almost  disappeared,  and  returned  by  the  hill-top 
path.  The  tundra  was  beautiful  with  mosses, 
birds  were  singing,  and  the  rushing  and  roaring 
of  tile  creek  waters  fairly  made  my  head  swim,  they 
were  such  unusual  sounds.  The  water  was  cutting 
a  channel  in  the  sands  where  it  empties  into  the 
bay.  Here  it  was  flowing  over  the  ice,  helping  to 
loosen  the  edge  and  allow  it  to  drift  out  to  sea. 

There  is  little  change  in  the  manners  and  disposi- 
tions of  the  rough  men  in  camp.  There  are  the 
same  things  with  which  to  contend  day  after  day, 
the  same  annoyances  and  trials  to  endure,  with 
new  ones  in  addition  quite  frequently. 
June  has  come  at  last,  and  all  the  world  should 


356  Stones  and  Dynamite 

be  happy,  but,  alas,  there  is  always  some  worm  in 
the  bud  to  do  the  blasting.  This  morning-  about 
three  o'clock  1  was  awakened  by  the  sound  of 
drunken  voices  outside  my  window,  followed  by 
stones  hurled  against  the  side  of  the  house.  Quick- 
ly rising,  I  cautiously  peeped  outi  from  behind  the 
curtain,  but  was  not  surprised  at  what  I  saw. 
There,  about  a  hundred  feet  away,  were  four  men, 
all  well  known  to  me  as  members  of  the  gang,  and 
all  in  the  most  advanced  stages  of  intoxication. 
On  the  step  of  a  neighboring  cabin  sat  the  mus- 
derer,  Ford,  hugging  in  a  maudlin  way  a  big  black 
bottle. 

On  the  ground,  in  the  dirt,  there  rolled  two 
young  men,  the  Englishman  underneath,  and  Big 
Bub  over  him.  Sim,  the  leader,  had  aimed  four 
stones  at  my  window,  but  missed  it,  and  felt  the 
need  of  more  stimulant,  so  he  took  the  bottle  from 
Ford,  carried  it  to  the  lumber  pile,  a  few  feet  away, 
sat  down,  put  it  to  his  lips  and  drank  heavily. 
Again  and  again  he  tipped  up  the  bottle  while  he 
drank,  but  finally  threw  it  away  empty.  Then, 
with  much  exertion,  he  stooped  to  pick  up  a  stone. 

He  was  aiming  at  my  window.  I  dodged  into  a 
corner,  but  the  box  wash-stand  stood  partly  in  my 
way.  Would  he  hit  his  mark?  I  did  not  believe 
it.  He  was  too  drunk.  Crack!  came  the  stone 
against  the  house. 

I  waited.  yVnother  followed.  In  the  meantime 
the  other  men  had  paid  no  attention  to  him,  as 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  357 

Ford  was  watching  the  two  tumblers,  the  lumber 
pile  being  between  them  and  Sim;  and  the  three 
started  for  the  front  door  around  the  south  side 
of  the  house.  Sim  followed  them.  I  now  hoped 
he  would  forget  his  stone  throwing.  When  they 
were  all  out  of  sight  I  breathed  more  freely.  Surely 
now  the  trouble  was  over,  I  thought,  and  I  threw 
off  my  fur  coat  which  I  had  hastily  pulled  on  over 
my  wrapper,  crept  into  bed  and  covered  my  head 
with  the  blankets. 

I  now  thought  quickly.  Even  if  Sim  should  for- 
get to  throw  more  stones,  would  he  not  soon  come 
upstairs  and  perhaps  give  me  more  trouble?  Would 
it  not  be  better  to  dress  myself  and  be  prepared 
for  any  emergency?  I  was  hurriedly  deliberating 
upon  the  matter  —  my  head  still  covered  with  the 
blankets — when  there  was  a  loud  crash  and  shiv- 
ered glass  covered  the  floor  and  the  bed  clothes. 
Instantly  throwing  the  latter  back,  I  looked  around 
me.  I  could  see  no  stone,  and  I  had  heard  none 
fall  upon  the  floor,  but  it  must  be  there  somewhere. 
I  now  stepped  carefully  out  of  bed,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  glass,  my  feet  being  already  in  knit,  wool 
slippers,  with  thick,  warm  soles  —  and  again 
looked  out. 

There  was  no  one  to  be  seen.  Sim  had  done 
his  dastardly  work,  and  gone  indoors.  Would  this 
end  it?  My  teeth  chattered,  and  I  felt  cold.  I 
must  keep  my  nerve,  however,  and  I  did  so,  dress- 
ing myself  carefully  even  to  my  stout  shoes  which 


35^  Stones  and  Dynamite 

I  laced  up  in  front  and  tied.    Then  I  drew  on  my 
fur  coat  and  sat  down  to  wait. 

Below  the  four  men  were  poking  around  in  the 
kitchen,  trying  to  find  something  to  eat  or  drink. 
It  was  not  long  before  I  heard  them  coming  up- 
stairs, and  all  tumbled  into  the  next  room,  which 
was  occupied  by  Ford. 

If  they  came  to  molest  me  further  there  was  yet 
one  way  of  escape  which  T  would  try  before  using 
my  revolver.  The  weapon  I  did  not  want  to  use 
unless  driven  to  it.  There  was  the  staging  outside 
my  window  which  had  never  been  removed  since 
the  house  was  built,  the  year  before.  I  could  very 
easily  step  out  upon  it,  and  walk  to  the  end  of  the 
house,  but  then  I  must  either  jump  or  remain,  for 
there  was  no  ladder.  This  staging  was,  perhaps, 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  and  the  latter  frozen. 
To  slide  down  a  post  would  tear  my  hands  fear- 
fully. 

I  had  not  long  to  wait.  To  go  peacefully  to  bed 
seemed  to  be  the  last  thing  these  men  thought  of, 
and  one  picked  up  a  gun,  which,  for  hunting  pur- 
poses, every  man  in  the  house  kept  close  at  hand. 

'T  zay,  now,  Bub,  put  up  zat  gun.  Zis  ain't  no 
place  for  shootin',''  drawled  a  thick,  sleepy  voice 
which  I  recognized  instantly. 

"Shut  ycr  gab!  Who's  hurtin'  you?"  answered 
Bub,  the  biggest  of  the  four,  and  one  of  the  ugliest 
when  intoxicated. 

"Mrs.  Sullivan's  in  the  next  roomi.  You  wouldn't 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  359 

shoot  her,  would  you?"  asked  Sim  sneeringly  in  a 
loud  tone,  for  he  could  stand  up  under  great  quan- 
tities of  liquor. 

"Sh!  Keep  still  a  minute,  you  fool!"  in  a  harsh 
whisper  from  Bub. 

I  was  now  thankful  that  I  was  dressed.  I  waited 
no  longer.  Opening  the  door  I  ran  down  stairs  to 
Mollie  and  the  captain,  knocking  loudly  upon  their 
door. 

"Hang  those  brutes!"  exclaimed  the  captain 
angrily,  when  I  had  finished  telling  him  what  had 
happened.  "What  is  the  matter  with  them,  any- 
way?" 

"Whiskey,"  said  I.  "They  are  all  as  drunlc  as 
pirates." 

"Show  me  your  room  and  window,"  demanded 
the  captain,  who  by  this  time  had  gotten  into  some 
of  his  clothing,  and  stepped  into  the  living  room 
where  I  was. 

I  then  led  the  way  upstairs,  and  threw  open  my 
door.  What  a  sight!  Broken  glass  covered  the 
floor  and  bed,  the  cool  morning  air  pouring  in 
through  the  broken  pane,  of  which  there  was  little 
left  in  the  sash. 

That  was  enough  for  the  captain.  He  made 
straight  for  the  next  room,  where  all  was  now  per- 
fectly still,  only  Ford  remaining  in  it,  the  others 
having  had  sense  enough  to  sneak  off  to  their  own 
places,  after  hearing  me  run  down  stairs  to  report. 

Seizing  my  blankets  I  closed  and  locked  the  doot 


360  stones  and  Dynamite 

and  made  my  way  down  stairs  to  Mollie.  Above 
wc  could  hear  the  captain's  voice  in  angry  alterca- 
tion with  the  men,  they  denying  everything,  of 
course,  even  the  stone  throwing,  with  the  window 
as  evidence  against  them.  It  was  half-past  four  and 
I  had  slept  little.  There  was  no  fire  in  the  house, 
and  I  was  cold;  so,  throwing  d'own  a  few  skins  in 
a  corner  of  the  sewing  room,  with  my  blankets 
upon  them,  I  covered  myself  to  get  warm. 

At  last  the  house  was  once  more  quiet,  and  I 
slept  for  an  hour,  only  to  meet  black  and  angry 
looks  from  the  men  all  day,  accompanied  by  threats 
and  curses,  though  I  said  nothing  to  them,  I 
picked  up  the  stone  from  my  reindeer  rug,  where  it 
had  fallen  after  shattering  the  window  pane,  and  it 
lay  only  two  feet  from  my  head.  It  was  about  the 
size  of  an  egg. 

Of  course  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  leave  Chinik, 
as  the  winter  trails  are  broken  up,  the  ice  has  not 
left  the  bay,  and  no  steamers  can  enter;  so  we  are 
practically  prisoners.  O,  how  I  long  to  get  away 
from  this  terrible  place!  Never  since  I  came  to 
Chinik  have  I  given  these  men  one  cross  word,  and 
yet  they  hate  me  with  a  bitter,  jealous  hatred,  such 
as  I  have  never  before  seen.  Some  weeks  ago  I 
pinned  a  slip  of  paper  into  my  Bible,  upon  which 
I  have  written  the  address  of  my  parents,  in  case 
anything  should  happen  to  me.  O,  to  be  once 
more  safe  at  home  with  them!  God  grant  that  I 
may  be  before  many  months  shall  have  passed. 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  361 

A  splendid  warm,  bright  day,  June  thirteenth, 
the  most  of  which  the  children  and  I  have  spent 
upon  the  sandy  beach  in  front  of  the  hotel.  Little 
Jennie  lies  and  plays  on  the  warm,  dry  sand, 
though,  of  course,  she  does  not  stand  on  her  feet 
nor  walk.  Other  small  Eskimos  come  to  play 
with  them,  for  Charlie  is  always  on  hand  for  a 
play  spell  on  the  sand,  and  I  doze  and  read  under 
my  umbrella  in  the  meantime,  with  an  eye  always 
upon  them.  They  make  sand  pies,  native  igloos, 
and  many  imaginary  things  and  places,  but  more 
than  any  other  thing  is  my  mind  upon  the  coming 
of  the  steamers,  when  I  hope  to  get  away. 

Mollie  came  in  last  night  from  a  seal  hunt  upon 
the  ice,  and  she,  with  the  three  native  boys,  secured 
a  white  seal,  and  eight  others,  but  did  not  bring 
all  with  them.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  water  on 
the  ice  at  this  time,  and  none  but  natives  like  to 
travel  upon  it.  Ducks  and  geese  are  flying  north- 
ward in  flocks  above  our  heads,  and  we  feast  daily 
upon  them.  They  are  very  large  and  tasty,  and 
the  cook  knows  well  how  to  serve  them. 

We  now  see  a  line  of  blue  water  out  beyond  the 
ice,  and  even  distinguish  white  breakers  in  the  dis- 
tance. Today  I  took  a  field  glass,  and  climbing  the 
hill  behind  the  Mission  to  look  as  far  out  as  possi- 
ble, strained  my  eyes  to  see  a  steamer.  As  I  stood 
upon  the  point  to  get  a  better  view,  the  whole 
world  around  seemed  waking  from  a  long,  long 
sleep. 


362  stones  and  Dynamite 

At  my  left  was  Chinik  Creek,  pouring  its  rush- 
ing waters  out  over  the  bay  ice  with  a  cheerful, 
rapid  roaring.  Farther  away  south  stretched  the 
Darby  Cape  into  blue  water  whicli  looked  like  in- 
digo, surmounted  by  long  rolling  breakers  with 
combs  of  white,  all  being  fully  fourteen  miles  away. 
To  the  northwest  of  the  sand-spit  upon  which 
Chinik  is  built,  and  which  cuts  Golown  Bay  almost 
in  two,  the  Fish  River  is  also  emptying  itself,  as  is 
Keechawik  Creek  and  other  smaller  streams.  Over 
all  the  welcome  sunshine  is  flooded,  warming  the 
buds  and  roots  on  the  hillside,  and  making  all 
beautiful. 

June  seventeenth:  This  is  Bunker  Hill  Day  in 
New  England,  and  the  men  have  been  celebrating 
on  their  own  account,  setting  oflf  a  fifty  pound 
box  of  dynamite  in  the  neighborhood,  to  frighten 
the  women,  I  suppose.  The  shock  was  terrific, 
breaking  windows,  lamp  shades,  and  jarring 
bottles  and  other  articles  oflf  the  shelves.  Jennie 
was  dreadfully  frightened,  and  screamed  for  a  few 
minutes,  while  the  living  room  soon  filled  with 
men  inquiring  the  cause  of  the  explosion.  By  and 
by  a  man  came  in  saying  that  another  box  of  giant 
powder  would  be  set  ofT,  but  with  that  the  Marshal 
left  the  room  with  a  determined  face,  and  we  heard 
no  more  dynamiting.  The  men,  as  usual,  were  in- 
toxicated. 

T  have  just  had  a  pleasant  little  outing  at  the 
Home,  going  with  Mollic,  who  invited  me  to  go 


I 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  363 

with  her.  She  was  going  out  seal  hunting  on  the 
ice,  would  leave  me  at  the  Home  for  a  short  visit, 
and  pick  me  up  on  her  return.  Ageetuk  and 
grandmother  would  take  good  care  of  Jennie  for 
so  short  a  time,  and  I  needed  the  change,  so  I 
ran  up  to  my  room,  threw  some  things  hastily  Into 
a  small  bag  to  take  with  me,  locked  my  trunk,  (I 
had  long  ago  put  a  package  consisting  of  papers 
and  diaries  into  the  safe  in  the  kind  storekeeper's 
care),  dressed  myself  in  my  shortest  skirts  and 
longest  rubber  boots,  and  we  started.  The  weather 
was  too  warm  for  furs  in  sunshine,  or  while  run- 
ning behind  a  sled,  so  I  wore  a  thick  jacket,  black 
straw  hat  with  thick  veil,  and  kid  gloves. 

We  left  the  hotel  about  half-past  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  but  with  the  sun  still  high  and 
warm.  Mollie  had  her  small  sled  and  three  dogs, 
with  Muky  and  Punni  Churah  and  their  guns.  The 
other  sled  was  a  large  one,  and  to  it  were  hitched 
seven  good  dogs,  accompanied  by  Ituk  and  Koki. 
Upon  the  sleds  were  furs,  guns,  bags  and  fishing 
tackle.  Along  shore  there  was  considerable  water 
on  the  ice,  in  a  few  spots  the  latter  had  dis- 
appeared, and  we  could  see  the  sandy  beach,  but 
farther  east  the  ice  was  firmer,  and  Mollie,  who, 
made  for  the  be?t  looking  places,  led  the  way,  I 
running  closely  in  her  footsteps. 

Behind  us  came  the  men  and  teams,  the  calls  of 
the  Eskimos  to  their  dogs  sounding  musically  on 
the   quiet   evening  air.      Mollie   and   I    were   now 


364  stones  and  Dynamite 

leaping  over  water-filled  cracks  or  lanes  in  the 
ice,  she  having  assured  me  that  after  getting  away 
from  the  shore  it  would  be  better  traveling,  and  we 
could  ride  on  the  sleds  when  we  were  tired,  but 
I  felt  considerable  pride  in  keeping  up  with  her,  and 
soon  grew  very  warm  from  the  stiff  exercise,  unac- 
customed as  I  was,  while  she  was  well  used  to  it. 

After  we  had  left  the  shore  some  distance  behind 
us  we  halted  for  the  sleds  to  come  up,  MoUie  seat- 
ing herself  upon  the  small  one,  I  waiting  for  the 
other  a  Httle  later.  There  I  ran  at  the  handle-bars 
for  a  time,  but  at  last  I  threw  myself  upon  the 
sled  among  the  furs,  and  pulled  a  parkie  over  me. 
We  were  now  in  the  water  a  foot  deep  most  of  the 
time,  the  dogs  picking  their  way  along  over  the 
narrowest  water  lanes,  Ituk  and  Koki  shouting  to 
them  to  gee  and  haw,  and  with  Eskimo  calls  and 
whip-snapping,  urging  them  on  continually. 

Soon  we  left  the  smaller  sled  behind;  MolUe, 
Muky  and  Punni  making  the  air  ring  with  laughter 
and  Eskimo  songs.  As  we  started  out  from  home 
the  sun  shone  brightly  ipon  us,  but  as  we  left  the 
land  at  our  backs,  and  nade  our  way  farther  out 
upon  the  bay,  the  sun  dropped  lower  and  lower,  the 
sky  became  a  mass  of  crimson  and  yellow,  and 
the  whole  world  seemed  modestly  blushing. 

Along  the  east  shore  the  rolling  hills  lay  almost 
bare  of  snow,  the  brown  tundra  appearing  softly 
and  most  artistically  colored.  To  the  north  the 
mountains    were    still   tipped   with    snow,    as   was 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  365 

also  the  promontory — Cape  Darby,  at  the  ex- 
treme southeast  point.  This  was  spotted  and 
streaked  with  white,  its  rocky  cliff  black  in  shadow 
by  contrast.  Our  eyes  eagerly  scanned  the  hori- 
zon for  steamers,  and  a  schooner  had  been  reported 
off  Darby  loaded  with  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables, 
but  we  could  not  see  it. 

By  and  by  we  were  past  most  of  the  water  lanes, 
and  the  ice  was  better.  At  half-past  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening  the  sky  was  exceedingly  grand,  and  a 
song  of  gratitude  welled  up  in  my  heart,  for  this 
was  another  world  from  the  one  we  had  just  left, 
and  I  no  longer  wondered  at  Mollie's  love  of  hunt- 
ing in  the  fresh  air,  under  the  beautiful  skies,  and 
with  her  freedom  to  travel  wherever  she  liked. 

With  her  I  felt  perfectly  safe.  No  harm  could 
come  to  me  when  Mollie  led  the  way,  and  my  con- 
fidence in  the  native  men  was  equally  strong;  for 
were  they  not  as  familiar  with  ice  and  water  as 
with  land?  I  soon  saw  that  we  were  headed  toward 
the  island,  though  I  did  not  know  why,  and  by  this 
time  Mollie  was  far  ahead,  also  that  we  were  being 
followed  by  a  dog-team  from  Chinik,  which  puzzled 
me,  for  I  had  not  heard  that  others  were  going 
out  hunting  for  seal,  or  starting  for  the  Home, 
which  was  my  destination. 

When  we  reached  the  north  end  of  the  small  is- 
land Mollie  ran  up  the  path  like  a  deer,  I  following, 
as  did  the  natives,  leaving  the  dogs  to  rest  upon 
the  ice.    From  a  hole  in  the  rocks  Koki  now  hauled 


366  stones  and  Dynamite 

his  kyak  or  small  skin  boat,  where  he  had  left  it 
from  a  former  trip,  and  dragging  it  down  upon  the 
ice,  he  lashed  it  upon  the  small  sled  to  be  carried 
still  farther. 

The  dog-team,  which  I  had  seen  following  in  the 
distance,  had  now  come  up  with  us,  and  I  heard 
one  man  say  to  the  other:  "There  is  Mrs.  Sul- 
livan," but  I  did  not  recognize  the  voice.  When 
they  came  nearer,  we  found  it  to  be  two  men  from 
camp  who  were  going  out  to  the  schooners  to  buy 
fruit  and  vegetables,  and  they  wanted  to  get  a  dog 
belonging  to  them  which  Mollie  had  borrowed  and 
had  hitched  into  her  team.  A  change  of  dogs  was 
then  made,  and  we  started — Mollie  and  I  on  her 
big  sled,  the  other  two  following. 

We  now  skirted  the  rocky  cliffs,  andfound  the  ice 
hummocky  between  great,  deep  cracks  where  the 
water  was  no  longer  white,  but  dark  and  forbidding. 
Sometimes  Koki  suddenly  started  the  dogs  to  one 
side  to  avoid  dark-looking  holes  in  the  ice,  the 
dogs  leaping  over  seams  which  quickly  lay  be- 
neath us  as  the  fore  and  hinder  parts  of  our  sled 
bridged  the  crevasse  of  ugly  water. 

Now  the  sled  swayed  from  side  to  side  as  the 
dogs  made  sudden  curves  or  dashes,  then  a  big 
hummock  of  ice  and  snow  had  to  be  crossed,  and 
one  end  of  the  sled  went  up  while  the  other  went 
down.  I  was  holding  to  the  side  rails  with  both 
hands,  and  knowing  that  the  sled  was  a  good, 
strong  one,  I  had  no  fear  of  its  breaking,  but  my 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  367 

feet  were  cold  in  my  rubber  boots,  and  I  had  drawn 
some  furs  over  me. 

MolHe  is  not  a  great  talker,  she  seldom  ex- 
plains anything,  and  one  has  only  to  wait  and  see 
the  outcome  of  her  movements,  and  this  I  did, 
when  she  suddenly  with  Ituk  left  the  sleds  and 
climbed  the  rocks  or  the  island  again  on  the  south 
side.  Then  I  saw  them  gathering  sticks  and  small 
driftwood,  and  knew  that  they  would  make  a  fire 
upon  the  ice  at  midnight,  while  preparing  to  hunt 
for  seals. 

Coming  to  a  rough  place,  with  high-piled  ice  be- 
tween great,  ugly  seams  over  which  the  sagacious 
dogs  dragged  the  sleds  always  in  a  straight  line, 
not  slantwise,  I  climbed  out,  and  Mollie  and  Ituk 
came  with  their  driftwood,  which  they  threw  upon 
the  sled;  the  two  men  making  for  the  schooner 
forging  ahead  in  the  direction  of  Cape  Darby. 

Ituk  and  Muky  now  made  ready  to  go  with 
me  to  the  Home,  a  half  mile  away  to  the  east  where 
they  were  also  to  get  some  bread,  this  important 
item  having  been  forgotten  in  the  hurry  of  de- 
parture from  Chinik.  In  the  meantime  Mollie,  not 
to  lose  a  moment  of  time,  as  is  her  method,  had 
gotten  out  her  fishing  tackle  and  was  already  fish- 
ing for  tom-cod  through  a  hole  in  the  ice.  Bid- 
ding her  Beoqua  (good-bye),  we  started  for  the 
Home,  Ituk  politely  taking  my  little  bag,  and 
Muky  leaping  lightly  over  the  rocks  toward  the 
mainland.     Alongr  the  shore   of  the  island   I  was 


368  5tones  and  Dynamite 

fearful  of  cutting  my  boots  on  the  jagged  rocks 
and  rubble  thickly  strewn  over  the  sands,  and  had 
to  proceed  cautiously  for  a  time,  but  Ituk,  perceiv- 
ing my  difficulty,  led  to  a  smoother  path,  and  we 
were  soon  on  the  mainland,  and  upon  the  soft 
tundra,  when  it  was  only  a  few  minutes  walk  to 
the  Home. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  we 
found  the  missionaries  just  returned  from  a  trip  to 
the  schooner,  where  they  had  secured  fresh  po- 
tatoes and  onions.  The  smell  and  taste  of  an 
onion  was  never  so  good  to  me  before,  and  the  po- 
tatoes were  the  first  we  had  seen  in  six  months. 

I  had  been  in  the  Home  in  the  early  spring  for  a 
day,  and  now,  as  then,  met  with  a  warm  welcome 
from  the  missionaries.  They  now  had  double  the 
number  of  native  children  they  had  in  Chinik,  and 
their  house  is  large  and  commodious,  though  un- 
finished. 

I  was  assigned  the  velvet  couch  upon  which  I 
had  spent  a  good  many  nights,  and  the  two  natives 
returned  to  Mollie  after  securing  some  bread  from 
Miss  E.  for  their  lunches. 

Next  day  we  visited,  and  I  rested  considerably, 
finding  again  how  good  it  was  to  be  in  a  safe  and 
quiet  place  with  no  fear  of  stone  throwers  or  giant 
powder. 

About  half-past  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  just 
after  the  sun  had  set,  we  started  on  our  return  trip, 
Mollie    having   arrived    with    her    dog-teams    and 


A  Woman  Who-  Went — To  Alaska  369 

natives.  The  sunset  sky  was  exceedingly  beauti- 
ful, but  beneath  our  feet  we  had  only  very  bad  ice 
and  water.  Near  the  island  great  ice  cakes  were 
floating,  interspersed  with  dark  seams  and  lanes 
wider  than  we  had  before  seen.  Sometimes  I  rode 
on  one  of  the  sleds  or  walked,  ran  or  leaped  over 
the  water  holes  to  keep  up  with  the  rest  until  too 
tired  and  heated,  when  I  threw  myself  upon  a  sled 
again;  but  as  we  proceeded  we  found  firmer  ice  and 
less  water.  Mollie  and  I  had  both  to  ride  upon 
one  sled  now,  for  Ituk  had  lashed  the  kyak  upon 
the  little  one,  and  they  were  one  dog  short,  as  an 
animal  had  run  away  while  they  were  eating  supper 
at  the  Home.  Finally,  pitying  the  dogs  upon  the 
large  sled,  who  seemed  to  have  a  heavy  load  (al- 
though only  one  seal,  as  they  had  met  with  little 
success  in  hunting),  I  motioned  to  Ituk  to  wait  for 
me,  which  he  did. 

"Ituk,"  I  called,  as  I  came  nearer,  "let  me  ride 
in  the  kyak,  will  you?" 

"You  ride  in  kyak?"  asked  the  man  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  let  me  get  in,  I  will  hold  on  tight,"  and, 
as  he  made  no  objection,  I  climbed  upon  the  boat, 
crept  into  the  hole  made  for  that  purpose  and  sat 
down. 

"All  right,  Ituk;  I  am  ready,"  I  said. 

The  man  laughed,  cracked  his  whip,  and  the  dogs 
started. 

I  had  not  before  realized  that  I  would  be  sitting 
so  high  up,  and  that  at  each  dip  in  a  crack  or  de- 


370  Stones  and  Dynamite 

pression  of  the  ice,  when  the  sled  runner  ran  a  little 
higher  than  the  other,  I  should  stand  a  grand 
chance  of  being  spilled  into  the  water,  but  my  feet 
were  so  cold  in  my  rubber  boots  that  I  was  think- 
ing to  get  them  under  cover  would  be  agreeable, 
and  though  Ituk  probably  well  knew  what  the  out- 
come of  my  ride  would  be,  he  very  patiently  agreed 
to  allow  me  to  try  it. 

We  had  not  gone  far  when  our  dogs  made  a 
sudden  dash  or  turn,  the  right-hand  runner  slipped 
lengthwise  into  a  seam,  and  over  we  went,  sled, 
kyak,  woman  and  all  upon  the  ice  in  a  sorry  heap. 
The  dogs  halted  instantly,  and  Ituk,  who  had  been 
running  on  the  left-hand  side  of  them,  came  back  at 
my  call. 

"O,  Ituk,  come  here  and  help  me!  I  cannot 
get  out  of  the  kyak,"  I  cried  lustily.  "I  will  not 
get  into  it  again,"  and  I  rubbed  my  wrist  upon 
which  the  skin  had  been  slightly  bruised,  and  he 
assisted  me  to  my  feet. 

The  native  laughed. 

"Kyak  no  good — riding — ^heap  better  run,"  he 
said. 

"That's  so,  Ituk,  but  my  feet  are  very  cold." 

"Get  warm  quick — you  running,"  was  his  re- 
ply, and  we  started  on  again. 

When  five  or  six  miles  from  Chinik  the  water  be- 
came more  troublesome,  and  our  progress  was 
elow.  We  were  wading  through  holes,  leaping  over 
Ecanis,  and  treading  through  slush  and  water.    It 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  371 

was  colder  than  the  night  before,  a  thin  skin  of  ice 
was  forming,  but  not  firm  enough  to  hold  one  up. 
I  was  cold  and  cuddled  into  the  sled  with  Mollie, 
but  the  two  natives  running  alongside  were  con- 
tinually sitting  upon  the  rail  to  get  a  short  ride 
instead  of  walking,  thus  loading  the  sled  too  heavily 
upon  one  side,  and  we  were  soon  all  tumbled  into 
water  a  foot  deep. 

As  I  went  over  I  threw  out  my  arms  to  save  my- 
self, and  my  sleeve  was  soaked  through  in  an  in- 
stant. Koki  and  Muky  thought  it  great  fun,  and 
laughed  and  shouted  in  glee,  but  to  me  it  was  a 
little  too  serious.  My  clothes  were  wet  through 
on  my  right  side,  and  I  was  now  obliged  to  run* 
whether  I  wanted  to  do  so  or  not,  for  we  were  fully 
a  mile  from  home.  My  gloves  and  handkerchief 
were  soaked  with  water,  and  I  threw  them  away, 
thrusting  my  hands  into  my  jacket  pockets  and 
running  to  keep  up  with  the  others. 

We  were  now  wading  and  leaping  across  fre- 
quent lanes,  and  were  more  in  the  water  than  upon 
the  ice.  The  sharp  eyes  of  the  natives  had  dis- 
cerned the  shore  line  well  bordered  by  open  water, 
and  they  were  wondering  how  they  would  get 
across.  Finally  we  could  get  no  farther,  and  were 
a  hundred  feet  from  the  beach, 

"Dogs  can  swim,"  said  Mollie,  sententiously, 
as  was  her  habit. 

"How  will  you  and  I  get  on  shore,  Mollie?"  I 
asked  anxiously. 


37*  Stones  and  Dynamite 

*'Ituk,  big  man, — he  carry  you,  may  be,"  an- 
swered MoUie,  roguishly,  with  a  twinkle. 

"But,"  I  continued  seriously,  "how  deep  is  the 
water,  anyway,  Koki?"  seeing  that  he  had  been 
wading  in  to  find  out. 

"Him  not  much  deep.  We  walk  all  right, — 
'bout  up  here,"  and  the  native  placed  his  hand  half 
way  between  his  knee  and  thigh  to  show  the  depth, 
then  walking  a  little  farther  down  towards  the  hotel 
he  seemed  to  find  a  better  place,  and  called  for  all 
to  follow,  which  we  did. 

The  men  waded  across  to  the  shore,  stepping 
upon  stones  which  now  and  then,  at  this  point, 
were  embedded  in  the  sand,  MoUie  boldly  follow- 
ing their  example.  All  wore  high  skin  boots, 
coming  far  above  their  knees,  and  water-tight,  but 
my  irubber  boots  had  never  been  put  to  a  test  like 
this,  only  coming  a  little  above  my  knees,  where  the 
soft  tops  were  confined  by  a  drawstring,  and  this 
water  was  very  cold,  as  I  had  good  reason  to 
know. 

However,  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  go  on, 
first  watching  the  others,  and  then  plunging  boldly 
in.  I  drew  my  boot-tops  higher,  fastened  the 
strings  securely,  picked  up  my  short  skirts  and 
wound  them  closely  about  me,  but  not  in  a  man- 
ner to  impede  my  progress,  and  stepped  in. 

By  this  time  the  dogs  and  men  were  upon  the 
sands,  and  making  for  home,  only  a  few  rods  away, 
but  I  took  my  time,  walking  slowly  in  order  that 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  373 

the  water  should  not  slop  over  the  tops  of  my 
boots,  and  we  finally  reached  the  beach  and  the 
house  safelj^. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


GOOD-BYE  TO   GOLOVIN  BAY. 


N  the  morning  of  the  twenty-sixth  of 
^^  June  I  awoke  to  find  that  the  ice  had 
drifted  out  to  sea  in  the  night,  eight 
days  after  Mollie  and  I  had  taken  our 
twelve  miles  trip  across  the  bay  and 
return.  Then  came  hard  rain  and 
wind,  that,  for  several  days,  blew  the 
ice  back  into  the  bay,  first  to  one  side, 
and  then  to  the  other,  so  that  the 
steamers  waiting  to  come  in  could  not 
do  so  for  fear  of  the  drifting  floes.  By  the  thirtieth 
of  June  schooners  were  coming  into  the  bay  with 
passengers  and  freight,  and  the  coast  steamers, 
"Elmore"  and  "Dora,"  had  begun  to  make  regu- 
lar trips  to  and  from  Nome. 

With  them  came  mails  from  the  outside,  with 
newspapers  and  tidings  of  friends  in  the  States. 
Then  our  fingers  trembled  at  opening  our  letters 
until  we  found  that  all  our  dear  ones  were  well, 
and  we  heartily  thanked  the  Lord.  There  were 
other  white  women  in  camp  by  this  time,  and  many 
strangers  at  the  hotel,  among  others,  officials,  and 
those  in  authority. 

Since  the  stone-throwing  episode  the  Marshal 
had  been  doing  duty  as  watchman,  sleeping  during 


A  Woman   Who  Went — To  Alaska  375 

the  day  and  guarding  the  house  nights,  the  heavy 
iron  "bracelets"  in  his  inner  coat  pocket  weigh- 
ing scarcely  more  than  the  loaded  revolver  in  his 
belt. 

Our  little  sick  girl  being  obliged  now  to  keep  her 
bed  continually,  with  no  more  playing  in  the  sand 
and  sunshine,  although  her  cough  had  left  her,  was 
still  the  same  sweet,  patient  child  she  had  been 
through  all  her  illness,  and  my  whole  time  was 
given  to  her.  Before  one  of  the  sunny  south  win- 
dows of  the  living  room  we  placed  her  cot  each 
morning,  and  here  she  received  her  numerous 
friends,  both  Eskimo  and  white,  and  their  names 
were  legion.  They  came  from  the  east,  west, 
north  and  south,  all  sorry  to  know  of  her  illness, 
and  bringing  presents  with  them. 

Sometimes  it  was  a  little  live  bird  or  squirrel, 
a  delicious  salmon  trout  or  wild  fowl  for  her  sup- 
per; sometimes  it  was  candy,  nuts,  or  fresh  fruit 
from  Nome,  and  with  everything  she  was  well 
pleased  and  joyous.  Friends  soon  came  in  from 
the  outside,  bringing  city  dolls  dressed  in  ribbons 
and  laces;  there  were  tiny  dishes,  chairs,  tables, — 
a  hundred  things  dear  to  a  little  girl's  heart,  and 
all  pleased  her  immensely,  but  all  were  laid  quickly 
aside  for  a  basket  of  wild  flowers  or  mosses,  for  a 
fish,  bird,  animal  or  baby,  showing  plainly  her  taste 
for  the  things  of  nature  in  preference  to  art.  Her 
love  for  her  birthplace,  with  its  hills,  streams  and 
ocean  is  a  sincere  one,  and,  young  as  she  is,  and 


376  Good-bye  to  Golovin  Bay 

having  seen  the  great  city  by  the  Golden  Gate, 
with  many  of  its  wonders,  she  is  happiest  in  Chinik. 

Here  Uves  her  dear,  old  grandmother,  her  cousins 
and  aunts,  not  to  mention  the  little  calico-capped 
baby  belonging  to  Apuk,  for  which  she  has  a  whole 
heartiul  of  love,  and  the  sight  of  which  is  better  to 
her  than  medicine. 

During  the  month  of  July  we  eagerly  watched 
the  incoming  steamers,  and  welcomed  all  new  com- 
ers who  landed  in  Chinik.  Many  were  simply  pass- 
ing through  on  their  way  up  Fish  River  to  the 
mines,  and  praise  of  the  land  of  the  "Ophir"  gold 
was  sung  on  all  sides.  A  few  remained  for  the 
summer.  Here  men  built  boats,  and  rowed  away 
to  Keechawik  and  Neukluk,  carrying  supplies  for 
hunting  or  prospecting. 

The  captain's  vegetable  garden  in  the  sand  was 
growing  rapidly,  and  was  watched  with  eager  eyes 
by  everyone.  We  ate  lettuce  and  radishes,  picked 
fresh  from  the  garden  beds  where  they  had  been 
sown  by  the  captain's  own  hands,  and  we  found 
Ageetuk  and  Mollie  to  be  quite  famous  cooks. 
Nothing  so  delicious  as  their  salads  (for  the  French 
cooks  had  long  ago  gone,  the  hotel  management 
being  changed,  and  Mollie  had  a  nice  little  kitchen 
of  her  own),  and  with  fresh  salmon  trout,  wild  fowl, 
fresh  meats  and  vegetables,  we  made  up  for  many 
■months  of  winter  dieting. 

All  this  time  I  longed  to  get  awav.  I  was  go'mg 
each  day  to  the  hill-top  to  watch  for  the  steamers 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska 


377 


which  would  bring  the  letters  for  which  I  waited. 
Affairs  connected  with  my  gold  claims  were,  with 
much  anxiety  and  trouble,  arranged  as  well  as  pos- 
sible, and  when  I  boarded  the  steamer,  I  would 
carry  with  m£,  at  least,  three  deeds  to  as  many 
claims,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  others;  but  I  could 
not  decide  to  remain  another  winter.  I  was  d  3- 
termined  to  go  to  St.  Michael,  up  the  Yukon  lO 
Dawson,  and  "outside,"  and  laid  my  plans  accord- 
ingly. Letters  from  my  father  and  brother  in  Daw- 
son had  been  received. 

How  my  heart  ached  when  I  thought  of  leaving 
the  little  sick  girl  and  Charlie,  the  latter  now  grown 
wilful,  but  still  so  bright  and  pretty.  I  wanted 
to  take  both  with  me,  but,  no,  I  could  not. 

The  little  girl's  work  was  not  ended.  Hers  is  a 
wonderful  mission,  and  she  is  surely  about  to  ful- 
fill it.  Born  as  she  was  in  a  rough  mining  camp 
at  the  foot  of  the  barren  hills,  she  was  given  the 
Eskimo  name  of  Yahkuk,  meaning  a  little  hill, 
and  she,  like  an  oasis  in  a  desert  place,  is  left  here 
to  cheer,  love,  and  help  others. 

Many  times  I  have  seen  evidence  of  the  sweet 
and  gentle  influences  going  out  from  the  life  of 
little  Yahkuk  as  she  lies  upon  her  cot  of  pain.  A 
tall,  brown  miner  enters  the  living  room,  goes  to 
the  little  bed  by  the  window,  speaks  softly,  and, 
bending  over  the  tiny  girl,  kisses  her.  Then  her 
big,  black  eyes  glance  brightly  into  blue  ones, 
looking  down  from  above,  full  red  lips  part  in  a 


378  Qood-bye  to  Qolovin  Bay 

cordial  smile,  while  the  one  solitary  dimple  in  the 
smooth,  round  cheek  pricks  its  way  still  deeper, 
and  small  arms  go  up  around  his  neck.  When  the 
man  turns,  his  face  wears  a  soft  and  tender  ex- 
pression as  though  he  were  looking  at  some  beau- 
tiful sight  far  away,  and,  perhaps,  he  is.  God 
grant  that  the  sweet  memory  of  that  little  child's 
kiss  may  be  so  lasting  that  all  their  lives,  he  and 
others,  may  be  purer  and  better  men. 

When  August  came  I  sailed  away.  The  "Dora" 
had  entered  the  bay  in  the  morning  and  found  my 
trunk  packed  and  waiting;  it  was  then  only  the 
work  of  a  little  time  to  make  ready  to  leave.  To 
my  good  missionary  friends  I  had  already  said 
good-bye,  and  the  captain  and  Mollie  were  kindly 
regretful.  With  tears  in  my  eyes,  but  with  real 
pain  in  my  heart  I  bade  Jennie  good-bye,  and 
stepped  into  the  little  boat  which  was  to  carry  me 
to  the  "Dora." 

Farewell,  then,  to  Chinik,  the  home  of  the  north 
wind*  and  blizzard.  Farewell  to  the  ice  fields  of 
Golovin,  so  tardy  in  leaving  in  summer,  and  to 
Keechawik  and  Chinik,  whose  clear  rushing  waters 
so  cheered  us  in  spring  time.  Farewell  to  the 
moss-covered  hills  and  paths  thickly  bordered  with 
blossoms.  Farewell  to  my  white-faced  friends,  and 
to  the  dark-skinned  ones,  "Beoqua." 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 


GOING   OUTSIDE. 

"Do  I  sleep?    Do  I  dream? 

Do  I  wonder  and  doubt? 
Are  things  what  they  seem? 

Or  are  visions  about?" 


WAS  now  actually  on  my  way  home. 
It  was  not  a  dream,  for  here  I  was  on 
board  the  snug  little  ocean  steamer 
"Dora,"  belonging  to  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Company,  and  I  was  on 
my  way  to  St.  Michael  and  Dawson. 
For  ocean  travel  our  steamer  was  a 
perfect  one  in  all  its  appointments,  be- 
ing staunch  and  reliable,  with  accom- 
modating officers.  After  taking  a  last 
look  at  Chinik,  I  went  to  my  stateroom.  Only  one 
stop  was  made  before  we  reached  St.  Michael,  that 
being  at  Port  Denbeigh,  a  new  mining  camp  where 
for  some  hours  freight  was  unloaded.  In  about 
twenty-two  hours  from  the  time  we  felt  Chinik  we 
were  in  St.  Michael  harbor,  climbing  down  upon 
a  covered  barge  which  took  us  ashore. 

It  was  nearly  two  years  since  I  had  first  landed 
at  this  dock, — then  in  a  snow  storm,  now  in  the 
rain, — ^then  with  my  brother,  now  alone.  Not  at 
all   like   Nome   is   this   quiet   little   hamlet   of  St. 


380  Going  Outside 

Michael  by  the  sea.  Neither  saloons  nor  disorderly 
places  are  allowed  upon  the  island.  What  was  for- 
merly a  canteen  for  soldiers  was  now  a  small  but 
tidy  restaurant,  where  I  ate  a  good  dinner  of  Beef- 
steak with  an  appetite  allowable  in  Alaska. 

Upon  the  streets  and  about  the  barracks  were 
many  boys  in  blue,  while  the  hotel  parlors  swarmed 
at  dinner  time  with  officers  and  their  wives  and 
daughters,  all  richly  and  fashionably  attired.  At 
the  parlor  piano  two  ladies  performed  a  duet,  while 
the  silken  skirts  of  others  rustled  in  an  aristocratic 
manner  over  the  thick  carpet,  and  gentlemen  in 
dress  suits  and  gold-laced  uniforms  gracefully 
posed  and  chatted. 

For  my  own  part,  a  little  homesick  feeling  had 
to  be  resolutely  put  down  as  I  pulled  on  my  old 
rain  coat,  and  with  umbrella  and  handbag  trudged 
out  in  the  darkness  and  rain  to  look  for  my  bag- 
gage. I  had  already  secured  my  transportation  at 
the  steamship  office,  where,  at  the  hands  of  the 
kindly  manager  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Com- 
pany's affiairs  in  this  country  I  had  received  the 
most  courteous  treatment  I  could  desire.  With 
little  delay  I  found  my  trunk  and  went  on  board  the 
Yukon  steamer  T.  C.  Power. 

Some  months  before  a  consolidation  of  the  three 
largest  transportation  companies  in  Alaska  had 
been  effected,  including  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company,  and  I  was  now  traveling  with  the  latter 
under  the  name  of  the  Northern  Commercial  Com- 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  381 

pany,  but  I  felt  a  security  like  that  of  being  in 
charge  of  an  old  and  trustworthy  friend,  and  was 
quite  content. 

I  had  a  long  journey  before  me.  We  should 
reach  Dawson  in  fourteen  days  unless  we  met  with 
delays,  but  a  fast  rising  wind  warned  us  that  we 
might  encounter  something  of  the  sort  where  we 
were,  and  we  did.  For  two  days  and  nights  our 
steamer  lay  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  not  daring 
to  venture  out  in  the  teeth  of  the  gale  which  buf- 
feted us.  Straining,  creaking,  swaying,  first  one 
way  and  then  the  other,  we  lay  waiting  for  the 
storm  to  abate.  No  river  steamer  with  stern  wheel 
and  of  shallow  draught,  could  safely  weather  the 
rough  sea  for  sixty  miles  to  the  Yukon's  mouth, 
and  we  tried  to  be  patient. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day  we  started, 
and  for  twelve  hours  we  ploughed  our  way  through 
the  waters  with  bow  now  deep  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea,  now  lifted  high  in  mid-air,  to  be  met  the  next 
moment  by  an  uprising  roller,  which,  with  a  boom 
and  a  jar,  sent  a  quiver  through  the  whole  vessel. 

When  at  last  the  Yukon  was  reached,  another 
obstacle  appeared  and  we  stuck  fast  on  a  sand  bar. 
Soon  two  other  steamers  lay  alongside,  waiting,  as 
did  we,  for  a  high  tide  to  float  us. 

By  night  we  lay  in  a  dead  calm.  Indians  in 
canoes  came  with  fish  and  curios  to  sell,  and  we 
watched  the  lights  of  the  other  steamers. 

When  the  high  tide  came,  we  floated  off  the  bar, 


383  Going  Outside 

but  the  scene  was  one  of  dull  monotony,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  day  following  that  we  came  into  the 
hill  country,  and  I  was  permitted  to  again  see  the 
dear  trees  I  loved  so  well,  not  one  of  which  I  had 
seen  since  leaving  California. 

At  Anvik  there  came  on  board  a  little  missionary 
teacher  bound  for  Philadelphia,  who  had  spent 
seven  years  with  the  natives  in  this  Episcopal  Mis- 
sion without  a  vacation,  and  her  stories  were  inter- 
esting in  the  extreme. 

Our  days  were  uneventful.  A  broken  stern 
wheel,  enforced  rests  upon  sand  bars,  frequent 
stops  at  wood  yards  with  a  few  moments  run  upon 
shore  in  which  to  gather  autumn  leaves,  and  get  a 
.<;niff  of  the  woods,  this  was  our  life  upon  the  Yukon 
steamer  for  many  days.  After  a  while  the  nights 
grew  too  dark  for  safe  progress,  and  the  boat  was 
tied  up  until  daylight. 

Russian  Mission,  Tanana,  Rampart,  Fort  Yukon 
and  the  Flats  were  passed,  and  the  days  wore 
tediously  on.  We  were  literally  worming  our  way 
up  stream,  with  low  water  and  dark  nights  to  con- 
tend with,  but  a  second  summer  was  upon  us  with 
warm,  bright  sunshine,  and  the  hills  were  brilliantly 
colored. 

One  morning  we  approached  the  towering 
Roquctt  Rock,  so  named  by  Lieutenant  Frederick 
Schwatka  in  his  explorations  down  the  Yukon 
years  before,  and  connected  with  which  is  an  In- 
dian legend  of  some  interest. 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  383 

This  immense  rock  (so  the  story  runs)  once 
formed  a  part  of  the  western  shore  of  the  Yukon, 
and  was  one  of  a  pair  of  towering  cliffs  of  about 
the  same  size,  and  with  similar  characteristics.  Here 
the  two  huge  clifTs  lived  for  many  geological  peri- 
ods in  wedded  bliss  as  man  and  wife,  until  finally 
family  dissensions  invaded  the  rocky  household, 
and  ended  by  the  stony-hearted  husband  kicking 
his  wrangling  wife  into  the  distant  plain,  and 
changing  the  course  of  the  great  river  so  that  it 
flowed  between  them,  to  emphasize  the  perpetual. 
divorce.  The  cliff  and  the  rock  are  still  known  as 
"the  old  man"  and  "the  old  woman,"  the  latter 
standing  in  isolation  upon  a  low,  flat  island  with  the 
muddy  Yukon  flowing  on  both  sides. 

At  this  time  of  the  year  the  days  in  Alaska  grow 
perceptibly  shorter,  and  we  were  not  surprised  to 
find  dusky  twilight  at  five  in  the  afternoon,  and  to 
notice  the  eerie  loneliness  of  the  dark,  sweet  scent- 
ed woods  a  few  hours  later,  when  the  steamer  lay 
tied  to  the  river's  bank. 

One  night  after  dinner  a  number  of  passengers 
sat  idly  about  in  the  saloon  of  our  steamer.  Many 
had  grown  tired  of  cards,  or  had  lost  their  money, 
and,  finding  themselves  pitted  against  more  lucky 
players,  had  called  a  halt  and  looked  for  other  oc- 
cupation. Miners  lounged  about,  chatting  of  the 
gold  mines,  their  summer's  work  and  experiences. 
Big  Curly  and  his  little  black-eyed  wife  listened 
attentively  for  a  time. 


384  Qoing  Outside 

The  old  miner  was  a  born  story  teller,  and  knew 
a  good  yarn  when  he  heard  it.  The  boat  was  tied 
up  for  the  night,  and  all  was  quiet  around  us.  It 
■was  the  time  and  place  for  a  story. 

At  lest  Big  Curly  hitched  his  chair  out  farther 
from  the  wall,  and  placed  his  feet  comfortably  upon 
the  rungs;  then,  shifting  his  tobacco  from  one 
cheek  to  the  other,  he  asked  if  any  one  present  had 
heard  the  story  of  Nelson  and  the  ghost.  No  one 
had  heard  it,  and,  after  some  coaxing,  this  is  the 
tale  he  told. 

The  Ghost  of  Forty  Mile. 

Alaska  has  long  smiled  over  old  Indian  legiends, 
but  Yukon  men  are  still  puzzling  over  the  noc- 
turnal rambles  of  the  ghost  of  a  murdered  man  in 
the  Forty  Mile  District.  Following  the  excitement 
of  the  discovery  of  Bonanza  Bar  and  the  sensa- 
tional riches  of  Franklin  Gulch  came  the  murder  of 
an  old  Frenchman  named  La  Salle.  Tanana  In- 
dians committed  the  crime  in  1886.  They  crossed 
the  mountains  to  Forty  Mile,  and  killed  La  Salle 
in  his  cabin  at  the  mouth  of  O'Brian  Creek.  With 
axes  and  bludgeons  the  old  Frenchman's  head 
was  crushed  beyond  recognition. 

Three  months  later  the  snow  lay  thick  upon  the 
ground.  Upon  the  branches  of  trees  it  persistently 
hung,  each  added  layer  clinging  tenaciously  be- 
cause there  was  no  breath  of  wind  to  send  it  to  the 


ON    BONANZA    CREEK 


f 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  385 

ground.  Occasionally  a  dead  twig-,  weighted  too 
heavily  by  the  increasing  fall  of  snow,  broke  sud- 
denly and  dropped  noiselessly  into  a  bed  of  feath- 
ery flakes,  thus  joining  its  sleeping  companions,  the 
leaves. 

It  was  in  January  that  two  men  might  have  been 
seen  following  their  dog-teams  down  a  frozen 
stream  emptying  into  Forty  Mile  River.  They 
wished  to  reach  the  mouth  of  the  creek  before  they 
halted  for  the  night.  They  had  heard  of  a  cabin  in 
which  they  planned  to  spend  the  night,  although  it 
was  a  deserted  one,  and  they  were  almost  at  the 
desired  point. 

The  men  were  Swedes.  They  were  strong  and 
hardy  fellows,  and  although  frost  covered  their 
clothing  and  hung  in  icicles  about  their  faces,  they 
ran  contendedly  behind  the  dog-teams  in  the  semi- 
darkness,  as  only  the  snow-light  remained. 

"Hello!"  called  out  Swanson  finally  to  his  com- 
panion. "Is  that  the  place,  do  you  think?"  point- 
ing to  the  dim  shape  of  a  log  cabin  a  little  ahead. 

"Guess  it  is,  but  we'll  find  out.  I'm  nearly 
starved,  and  must  stop  soon,  any  way,"  said  Nelson 
decidedly.  "It's  no  use  for  us  to  travel  further  to- 
night." 

"So  I  think,"  was  the  reply,  as  the  dogs  halted 
before  the  door,  and  the  men  entered  the  cabin. 
Here  they  found  a  good-sized  room,  containing 
one  window.  There  was  evidently  a  room  on  the 
other  side,  but  with  no  connecting  door,  the  two 


386  Going  Outside 

cabins  having  been  built  together  to  save  laying 
one  wall. 

"This  is  good  enough  for  me,  and  much  warmer 
than  a  tent — we'll  stay  here  till  morning,  and  take 
the  dogs  inside,"  said  kind-hearted  Nelson,  already 
unhitching  the  dogs  from  a  sled. 

Swanson  did  the  same.  The  next  moment  their 
small  stove  was  carried  into  the  cabin,  wood  was 
collected,  and  a  cheery  fire  soon  roared  up  the 
chimney. 

After  the  men  had  eaten  their  supper  and  the 
dogs  had  been  fed,  pipes  were  brought  out;  and, 
stretching  themselves  upon,  their  fur  sleeping  bags 
before  the  fire,  the  miners  smoked  and  chatted 
while  resting  their  weary  limbs. 

Suddenly,  in  the  midnight  stillness  they  heard  a 
strange  noise  in  the  other  part  of  the  cabin.  Some 
one  was  moaning  and  crying  for  help.  There  was 
no  mistaking  the  sound,  and  both  men  were  wide 
awake  and  intently  listening. 

It  was  the  cry  of  some  one  in  distress.  The 
sounds  grew  more  blood  curdling.  Nelson,  unable 
to  restrain  himself  longer,  ran  outside  to  investi- 
gate. Going  to  the  window  he  looked  inside.  The 
sight  he  beheld  congealed  his  blood,  and.  fastened 
him  to  the  spot  as  in  a  trance.  This  was  the  image 
of  a  man  surrounded  by  a  cloud  of  white,  mist-like 
phosphorescent  light,  a  deep  scar  standing  out 
like  a  bleeding  gash  down  the  side  of  the  head. 
Then  the  forgotten  story  of  the  murdered  La  Salle 


A  Woman  Who  Went— To  Alaska  387 

came  to  his  mind,  and  for  several  minutes  he  was 
chained  to  the  spot  by  the  terror  of  the  spectacle. 

The  apparition  was  half  lying  upon  the  floor, 
with  arm  uplifted,  as  if  warding  off  a  blow  from 
some  deadly  instrument.  Finally,  in  the  despera- 
tion of  his  terror,  Nelson  called  his  partner  to 
come  to  his  assistance.  Upon  the  approach  of  his 
companion  he  summoned  enough  courage  to  step 
to  the  door  at  the  other  end  of  the  cabin,  and  try 
to  open  it.  It  was  held  fast  by  some  superhuman 
agency,  which  allowed  the  door  to  be  only  partly 
opened. 

Swanson,  at  sight  of  the  ghostly  visitor,  was  not 
so  badly  overcome  as  his  friend,  and  having  an  in- 
quisitive turn  of  mind,  wished  to  find  if  the  appari- 
tion really  existed.  He  called  out,  demanding  to 
be  told  who  was  there,  but  no  answer  came. 

Still  the  mysterious,  unearthly  noises  came 
through  the  cabin  door.  No  soughing  of  the  wind 
could  make  such  sounds  had  a  tempest  been  blow- 
ing, but  a  deathly  stillness  prevailed,  and  no  breath 
of  air  stirred. 

Then  it  was  that  Swanson  gathered  all  that  was 
left  of  his  fast  disappearing  courage,  and  said:  "In 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  are 
you  demon,  man  or  ghost?" 

Suddenly  the  door  opened  and  in  the  uncertain, 
misty  light  the  apparition  raised  its  hands  to  the 
stars  as  if  in  prayer,  then  it  grew  dark  and  the 


388  Going  Outside 

ghostly  visitor  vanished  as  if  the  earth  had  engulfed 
it  forever. 

While  turning  this  tale  over  in  mind  later,  I  came 
to  the  conclusion,  which  seems  a  reasonable  one, 
that  some  fortunate  miner  had,  in  all  probability, 
hidden  an  amount  of  golden  treasure  in  or  about 
the  cabin  on  the  creek,  and  wishing  to  keep  others 
away,  had  circulated  the  ghost  story  with  good 
effect. 

When  Eagle  City  was  reached  I  telegraphed  my 
brother  to  meet  me  at  the  steamer's  dock  in  Daw- 
son, and  my  message  was  sent  by  one  of  Uncle 
Sam's  boys  in  blue  in  charge  of  the  office. 

The  town  had  grown  considerably  in  the  two 
years  since  I  visited  it,  and  now  boasted  new  gov- 
ernment buildings,  officer's  quarters,  and  a  Presby- 
terian church,  besides  new  stores  and  shops. 

After  Cudahy  and  Forty  Mile,  came  Dawson,  and 
we  steamed  up  to  the  city's  dock  in  the  morning 
fog,  and  were  met  by  the  usual  multitude  of  people, 
I  having  been  seventeen  days  out  from  Golovin 
Bay.  There,  among  others,  waited  my  brother 
and  his  little  son,  and  my  joy  at  meeting  them  was 
great.  Landing,  it  was  only  a  walk  of  a  few  min- 
utes to  my  kind  old  father,  and  my  brother's  wife 
was  not  far  away. 

I  was  now  practically  at  home,  for  home  is 
where  onr  dear  ones  arc,  and  surroundings  are 
matters  of  small  moment. 

Three  happy  weeks  followed  I  went  everywhere 


SKAGVVAY    RIVER    FROM    THE   TRAIN 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  389 

and  noted  well  the  improvements  in  the  camp  since 
I  last  saw  it.  It  was  now  a  cleaner  town  every 
way,  with  better  order,  good  roads  and  bridges, 
new  government  buildings,  post-office  and  fine 
large  schoolhouse.  New  frame  churches  replaced 
the  old  log  ones  in  most  cases.  There  was  the  gov- 
ernor's new  palatial  residence  which  would  never 
be  graced  by  the  presence  of  its  mistress  as  she 
and  her  babe  had  gone  down  to  death  a  few  weeks 
before  in  the  Islander  disaster  in  Lynn  Canal;  and 
there  was  the  same  steady  stream  of  gold  from  the 
wondrous  Klondyke  Creeks,  which  I  was  now  de- 
termined to  visit. 

One  bright,  warm  day,  taking  the  hand  of  the 
small  boy  of  the  family,  my  sister  and  I  started  for 
Bonanza  Creek.  We  were  bound  for  the  house  of 
•a  friend  who  had  invited  us,  and  we  would  remain 
over  night,  as  the  distance  was  five  miles.  My 
kodak  and  three  big  red  apples  weighed  little  in 
our  hands,  and  we  turned  toward  the  Klondyke 
River  in  high  spirits. 

For  a  mile  the  road  was  bordered  with  log 
cabins  on  the  hillside,  with  the  famous  little  river 
flowing  on  the  other.  We  crossed  the  fine  Ogilvie 
Bridge,  and  soon  found  ourselves  upon  Bonanza 
Creek,  the  stream  which,  with  the  Eldorado,  had 
given  to  the  world  perhaps  the  major  part  of 
golden  Klondyke  treasure  up  to  this  date.  Follow- 
ing the  trail  by  a  short  cut  we  crossed  shaky  foot 
bridges,    rested    upon    logs    along   the    trail,    and 


39^  Going  Outside 

picked  our  way  over  boggy  spots  until  our  limbs 
were  weary. 

Everywhere  there  were  evidences  of  the  industry 
of  the  miners,  but  the  claims  and  cabins  looked  de- 
serted. Only  in  a  few  instances  were  men  at  work 
near  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  Many  people  were 
going  to  and  from  Dawson,  and  bicycles  and 
wagons  were  numerous. 

When  we  reached  our  destination  we  had  walked 
five  miles  in  the  hot  sunshine,  and  were  hungry 
and  warm,  but  a  warm  welcome  from  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
M.,  as  well  as  a  good  dinner,  awaited  us. 

After  resting  a  while  we  were  shown  around  the 
premises.  Three  log  cabins  were  being  built  in  a 
row  upon  the  hillside,  the  one  finished  being  al- 
ready occupied  by  the  M.  family.  Tunnels  were 
being  made  in  the  mountain  by  Mr.  M.,  as  well  as 
other  claim  owners  near  by,  and  across  the  gulch 
mining  operations  were  in  full  blast.  On  the  M. 
claim  preparations  were  being  made  for  winter 
work,  and  it  was  expected  that  a  valuable  dump 
would  be  taken  out  before  spring.  For  three  hun- 
dred feet  one  tunnel  entered  the  mountain  back  of 
the  cabins,  and  we  were  invited  to  go  into  it. 

Putting  on  our  warmest  wraps,  with  candles  in 
hand,  we  followed  our  guide,  the  proprietor,  for 
some  distance.  It  was  like  walking  in  a  refriger- 
ator, for  the  walls  and  floor  of  the  tunnel  were 
solidly  frozen  and  sparkled  with  ice.  Whether  the 
bright  specks  we  saw  were  always  frost,  we  did  not 


A  Woman  Who  Went — To  Alaska  391 

enquire,  etiquette  forbidding  too  much  curiosity, 
but  from  the  satisfied  nods  and  smiles  we  under- 
stood that  it  was  a  good  claim,  though  only  re- 
cently purchased  by  Mr.  M.,  a  handful  of  pudgy 
gold  nuggets  being  shown  us  which  fairly  made 
our  eyes  water  (because  they  did  not  belong  to  us). 

Here  we  lodged  all  night,  enjoying  a  grapho- 
phone  entertainment  in  the  evening.  The  next 
morning  my  kodak  was  brought  out,  and  before 
leaving  for  home  I  had  several  views  to  carry  with 
me. 

Our  walk  back  to  Dawson  was  much  easier  than 
the  one  out  to  the  claim. 

From  this  on,  we  made  ready  to  leave  Dawson 
for  Seattle,  and  were  soon  upon  our  way.  Again 
I  was  forced  to  say  good-bye  to  my  father  and 
brother,  though  they  would  follow  us  a  month 
later,  and  together,  my  sister  and  I,  stood  with  the 
little  boy  on  the  deck  of  the  steamer,  waving  our 
good-bys. 

We  now  traveled  in  luxury.  We  occupied  a  large 
and  elegant  stateroom,  ate  first-class  meals,  and 
had  nothing  to  do  but  enjoy  ourselves.  To  change 
from  steamer  to  steam  cars  at  White  Horse, 
which  was  now  a  good  mining  town,  was  the  work 
of  an  hour's  time,  while  a  day's  ride  to  Bennett  and 
over  the  White  Pass  to  Skagway  was  a  real 
pleasure. 

We  found  the  quiet  little  port  of  Skagway 
swarming  with   people  rushing  for  the   steamers. 


392  Going  Outside 

and  as  if  to  give  us  variety  we  had  considerable 
difficulty  in  finding-  our  trunks  in  the  custom's 
house,  and  in  getting  upon  the  steamer  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  late  evening;  but  at  last  it  was  all  suc- 
cessfully accomplished,  and  we  took  our  last  look 
at  Skagway. 

Eleven  days  after  leaving  Dawson  we  reached 
our  journey's  end,  and  landed  in  Seattle,  our  home 
coming  being  a  source  of  delight  to  our  dear  wait- 
ing ones,  as  well  as  to  ourselves;  our  safe  arrival 
being  another  positive  proof  of  the  mercy  and 
goodness  of  God. 


.:? 


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SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

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LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

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